


Nail in the Coffin

by skyblue_reverie



Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, BDSM, First Time, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-02
Updated: 2010-11-02
Packaged: 2017-10-17 02:42:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/172056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skyblue_reverie/pseuds/skyblue_reverie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern day FBI AU.  Jim and Bones are partners who have just been given a new undercover assignment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nail in the Coffin

**Title:** Nail in the Coffin  
 **Author:** [](http://skyblue-reverie.livejournal.com/profile)[**skyblue_reverie**](http://skyblue-reverie.livejournal.com/)  
 **Fandom & Pairing:** Star Trek Reboot, Kirk/McCoy  
 **Rating:** NC-17 liekwoah.  
 **Spoilers:** None.  
 **Warnings:** BDSM, discussion of non-con (not of a main character)  
 **Word Count:** Around 25,000  
 **Summary:** Modern day FBI AU. Jim and Bones are partners who have just been given a new undercover assignment.  
 **Disclaimer:** Any resemblance to anything whatsoever is purely coincidental.  
 **A/N :** Many thanks to [](http://ellie-pierson.livejournal.com/profile)[**ellie_pierson**](http://ellie-pierson.livejournal.com/) for the fast and fabulous beta job! This is mah bff [](http://ennui-blue-lite.livejournal.com/profile)[**ennui_blue_lite**](http://ennui-blue-lite.livejournal.com/)'s long-overdue birthday fic. She gave me my choice of using the prompt "Masters/slaves; Doms/subs" from my kink bingo card or "Undercover; forced to hurt your partner" from my hurt/comfort bingo card. This monstrosity of a plot bunny was the result. I hope it was worth the wait, honey. I love you madly, now & always.

  
"New assignment, Bones!" Jim waved the file at Bones as he sat down at the metal desk that was pushed face-to-face with his partner's. "This one is going to be awesome. We're going undercover at a kinky sex club in San Francisco. Whips and chains and leather and shit. I am _so_ looking forward to making you crawl around on the floor and tugging you around on a leash. I can just see the scowl on your face now, only you'll have to hide it and be a good little sex slave."

Bones took the news of their new assignment in stride, barely blinking before he said, "And why exactly is it that you think I should be the sub in this situation?" He lifted a lazy eyebrow, and oh crap, Jim knew that look. It was the one he always had on his face just before he confronted suspects with the irrefutable evidence of their guilt. The nail-in-the-coffin look, Jim called it privately.

Still, Jim's trademark was bravado over good sense, so he forged on. "Come on, Bones, we both know I'm the natural choice to be the Dom. Do you really think you'd be able to pull off strutting into a BDSM club like you own the place? Or like you own _me_? I bet you've never even set foot in one of those places." Not like he himself had, but Bones didn't need to know that.

"Oh yeah? You'd lose that bet, kid."

"Bullshit." The word was out of his mouth before he could stop it. "You're a --”

The eyebrow lifted a little higher. "I'm a what, Jim? A prude? A blushing virgin? I do actually have a sex life, even if I don't flaunt it like you do."

Jim waved this away. "Sure, I know you've had sex. You've been married, for fuck's sake. But I figured..."

"What, it's always been vanilla? Candlelight and romance and sweet words and the missionary position?"

Jim flushed. To the extent he'd ever thought about Bones' sex life, which, okay, was more than he wanted to admit, yeah, that's exactly how he'd pictured it.

Bones laughed. Threw his head back and outright _laughed_ and that, more than anything, threw Jim's world-view off-kilter. How and when had he stepped into an alternate universe?

"Those things have their place, Jim. I enjoy 'em. But it's not all I enjoy. So to answer your question, yeah, I have been to BDSM clubs. Not in San Francisco, but I know the scene well enough that I'll fit in. Besides, you'll be such a pretty little sub, wearing a leather collar and hardly anything else that no one's going to be giving me a second glance."

Jim gulped, and his pants suddenly felt too tight. Yeah, the nail-in-the-coffin look was justified yet again. He was going to have to think about this new side of Bones that had just been revealed, but it was going to have to wait until he had some time and privacy. And a lot of lube. He'd never thought he was into that leather-and-chains stuff, but it was suddenly sounding pretty appealing, and hey, he was an open-minded guy. He cleared his throat and tried to get this conversation back along professional lines.

"All right, fine. You'll be the Dom and I'll be the sub. The club is called Narada. The target is the club's owner, Michael Nero, and he's generally at the club in the evening on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. He circulates for an hour or so and then goes to a private room in the back to talk business. Rumor is that he's running a sex slave market. Not like master-slave role-playing shit, but actually buying and selling people. Forced prostitution. So we're supposed to infiltrate and gather evidence. Plant surveillance if we can, but mostly pose as clients and gain Nero's trust. Hopefully eventually get enough information to bring the whole thing down."

Bones' face tightened. "Yeah, all right. And if they're actually running a slave ring, we'll make everyone involved regret that their mamas ever laid eyes on their daddies."

Jim grinned. Bones was just so _cute_ when he got all southern. Not to mention that it was sexy as hell when he was tough and serious. The combination of southern plus tough and serious was just about irresistible.

"This is gonna be a deep cover assignment, Bones. Bureau's setting up an apartment for us, false identities, the whole nine yards. No outside contact for the duration. This is a top priority. We stick with it as long as it takes."

Bones nodded, as Jim expected. Most agents would have protested the "no outside contact" clause but he and Bones -- well, neither of them had much of a life outside of work. Fun, yeah, Jim had plenty of fun, and it seemed like maybe Bones had been having more fun than Jim knew about. But except for each other, neither of them had any close ties. It was probably why they'd been picked for this assignment. Well, that and the fact that they'd both look awesome in leather.

***

Okay, so leather was way more uncomfortable than he'd anticipated. But his ass had never looked so amazing, which made it totally worth it. Bones had also insisted that he shave his chest. For "realism," he claimed. Jim suspected he just enjoyed jerking Jim's chain, pun fully intended. Still, the smooth-chested look was pretty nice on him, if he did say so himself. And when Jim insisted that Bones do the same, he'd given in with a minimum of grumbling. The smooth-chested look was even nicer on Bones. In fact, it was downright distracting.

They'd been living in this apartment for a week, establishing their identities as a sugar daddy and his boy-toy who'd just moved to town. It had taken that long to learn some of the players in the local scene and get to know them. Narada was apparently the hottest BDSM ticket in town, so you had to be on the guest list to have a prayer of getting in.

As for their credentials, Bones had a fake medical license, which, since he'd gone to med school and started his residency before quitting to join the FBI instead, was a natural fit. He'd be able to pose as a doctor easily. In this case, the kind of doctor who didn't ask too many pesky questions before writing generous prescriptions for those who could afford his "consultation" fees. Jim's undercover identity was to be his arm candy and, of course, his sub. His job was basically to look vacant and pretty. It wasn't much of a challenge so far, except for constantly having to stifle his usual habit of snarking at Bones, at least whenever they were out in public.

They had a two-bedroom apartment, but there was a chance that they'd have to entertain guests in their undercover roles. So they'd set one room up as a master bedroom, and the other as a study, with a lumpy couch that they'd take turns sleeping on, while the other took the comfy bed in the bedroom. It wasn't ideal, but Jim had certainly slept in worse conditions.

Tonight, they were both getting dressed for their first visit to Narada, Jim in their shared bathroom, and Bones in the master bedroom. Jim was wearing black leather pants and not much else. He examined himself in the bathroom mirror, artfully spiked up his hair, and called it done. He was looking pretty damn good.

Then Jim stepped into the bedroom, and got an eyeful of his partner. "Pretty damn good" didn't begin to cover it. Jim's jaw didn't drop open, but it was a close thing. Bones was wearing leather pants like Jim's, but he was wearing a tight black t-shirt as well. And black leather boots. And black leather cuffs around his wrists. Jim swallowed. Bones' hair looked different as well. Somehow less "solid citizen" and more "hot gay Dom who totally knows what he's doing." Holy crap, how had he never before realized he had a fetish for this kind of thing?

Luckily, Bones didn't seem to notice Jim's reaction. "Finished primping? Then c'mere," he said, in his usual grumpy tone of voice. Jim relaxed a little, sauntered over to where Bones was standing. Then nearly passed out again as Bones reached out and snapped a leather collar around his neck. It matched Bones' wrist-cuffs. Jim turned and looked at the two of them standing next to each other in the bureau mirror. It surprised him, how natural they looked together like this. His eyes were wide and words were beyond him, but Bones just looked him over critically. "Hmm, something's missing." He stepped into the bathroom and emerged a moment later with a towel draped over his arm and a bottle of something -- looked like some kind of clear body oil -- in his hand. He tossed it to Jim.

"Here, grease yourself up. Just a thin layer on your torso and arms."

Jim fumbled the bottle before he managed to get it under control. He did as Bones instructed, but when it came time to do his back he was stymied. "Um, Bones, a little help?"

Bones rolled his eyes but walked up behind Jim. He took the oil from Jim, poured a little onto his hands, rubbed them together, and then -- oh god -- started smoothing his hands in long strokes down Jim's back. Jim watched in the mirror as Bones worked, a frown of concentration on his face. Fuck, being the focus of that intense scrutiny was incredibly exciting and incredibly unnerving all at once. Jim shivered slightly and hoped Bones hadn't noticed. He didn't think so -- Bones was now staring at Jim's back, apparently to see if he'd missed any spots, and he must've, because he poured a little more oil on his hands and gave Jim a last rubdown before stepping back and nodding in satisfaction, wiping his hands on the towel.

"Now don't lean on or rub up against anything."

"Uh, how am I supposed to drive?"

Bones smirked. "I'm driving. You can sit in the passenger side and lean forward so you don't get oil all over the seat. I guess you'll just have to get the seatbelt a little greasy, because you _are_ wearing your goddamn seatbelt."

Jim sighed. Trust Bones to be stickler about safety laws when they were on their way to infiltrate a slavery ring. He sulked as they walked to the underground garage in their apartment building.

As he got into the car, he perked up a bit. They had a sweet little ride, a jet-black Audi S5, nice but not ostentatious. They'd picked it from the impound lot -- it used to belong to some corporate embezzler. Well, Bones had picked it. Jim had argued for the yellow Corvette that had been seized in a drug bust, but Bones vetoed it as "too flashy." Not that he'd ever admit it, but Bones had been right.

Bones drove like he did everything else, competently and with an economy of motion. Jim settled in -- without leaning back -- to enjoy the ride while he watched the city lights slip by outside the windows.

"...and don't speak unless you're spoken to." Jim tuned back in just in time to hear the end of Bones' lecture about how he was supposed to behave. The same lecture Bones had given him at least twenty times before.

"And keep my eyes lowered, I know, I _know_ , Bones. Such a shame to deprive the other patrons of the sight of my beautiful baby blues, though."

Bones' jaw clenched. "This is serious, Jim. We get caught, we'll be killed. You've _got_ to tone down your cockiness."

"Aw, Bones, I thought the whole point was cock...iness." Ha, rimshot!

Bones' jaw tightened even more. "That just illustrates my point, you infant. Maybe we're not ready for this. We can come back another night."

Shit. Bones really would pull the plug if he thought Jim wasn't in the right place mentally to get the job done. He blew out a breath and focused.

"I'm ready. I'll be good. Anything I mess up, you give me a correction and act like you're still training me, and I'll be properly contrite and call you 'sir.' Other than that, I'm going to stay right by your side, keep my mouth shut and my eyes down. This first visit, we're not going to try anything fancy. Just see and be seen, have a few drinks, then head home. Let's do this, Bones."

Bones' jaw relaxed and he nodded in approval at Jim's words, and Jim really didn't want to analyze the warm feeling that swept through him as a result. Luckily he didn't have to, because just then they pulled up in front of the club. A valet opened the passenger door for Jim as Bones got out of the driver's side and gave the key and a folded bill to another valet. Then Bones' arm was on Jim's elbow and he was leading Jim straight past the line at the door and up to a seriously buffed bouncer.

Jim deliberately kept his eyes on the bouncer's shoes as Bones spoke. "I'm on the list. Name's Leo Dubois." He pronounced it "do boys" and Jim had to bite his lip, hard, to keep from snickering. Shit, this was going to be tougher than he'd thought.

Meanwhile, the bouncer checked his list. "Leo Dubois, plus one. Yeah, go on in." Oh, great, now Jim was reduced to a "plus one"? He saw Bones slip a bill into the bouncer's hand, and at this rate they'd blow their discretionary budget in one evening.

Jim had expected something like the clubs he usually frequented, except maybe with some dungeon-esque decor. He'd kind of hoped for cage dancers. Definitely he expected brightly pulsing lights, deafening music, and tight-pressed crowds of bodies. This... wasn't that, at all. Instead, it was dimly lit, with dark plush carpeting underfoot. There was a polished mahogany bar at the far side of the room, and between it and them there were a scattering of expensive-looking tables, chairs, and couches. No fetish props on the walls, but behind the bar there was a collection of framed, exquisitely tasteful black-and-white photographs. Erotic photographs. Really explicit, really kinky, really freakin' _hot_ photographs. Jim realized he was staring. He hastily turned his gaze back to the floor.

Bones led him by the elbow over to sofa in one corner. Bones sat and Jim sank to his knees at Bones' feet, pretty gracefully, if he did say so himself, given the tight leather pants. And hey, at least he'd remembered to kneel instead of flopping on the couch next to Bones. A cocktail waitress in a slinky black gown came by and took Bones' order -- scotch on the rocks -- and then retreated. Bones relaxed into the sofa, spread his arms wide across the back of the cushions, and rested one ankle on the opposite knee. The position was unquestionably one of casual dominance. He actually did look like he owned the place. Damn it, yet again Bones had been right. Jim, for all his experience club-hopping, had never been to a place like this and would not only have been out of his element, it would have been _obvious_ that he was out of his element.

Bones didn't say anything, didn't make any attempt to initiate contact with anyone, just sipped his scotch and looked for all the world like a king surveying his domain. Jim had to forcibly remind himself that he was here to observe the club, not Bones. He turned his head subtly, trying to get a feel for the place.

Now that his eyes had adjusted to the dimness, he could see that the room they were in was only part of the club. There were hallways and doorways leading off in a couple different directions, and he could hear the thump of a bass beat from down a corridor. He could hear other sounds, too -- the faint but unmistakable crack of a whip, plus muffled moans and other assorted sex noises, from another direction. He found himself straining to hear more.

Bones caught his reaction but misinterpreted the cause. He leaned forward a bit and murmured into Jim's ear, "Yeah. There's a lot more explicit shit going on in other areas. Well, and some non-explicit shit, dancing and whatever. But for tonight we're just going to hang out here. We're going to bring these fuckers down, and that means doing this the right way. Don't want to overplay our hand."

Jim barely caught Bones' words because he was mesmerized by the feel of Bones' warm breath against his ear, the subtle scent of his aftershave, and the sheer nearness of him. Not to mention their relative positions, with Jim on his knees, and damn, was it getting hotter in here? He managed to pull it together and nod in response to Bones' words, and Bones patted him on the cheek and leaned back with a smug smile. Bastard was enjoying this way too much.

He was trying -- unsuccessfully -- to will his erection away when he heard a voice above him.

"Hey there, Leo, glad to see you took me up on my invite. Your boy's looking good tonight, and I can see he's raring to go."

Damn it, of course someone would not only notice his raging hard-on, but actually point it out to Bones. He couldn't see the speaker, but the voice was familiar, and it had to be Marcus, the one who'd gotten their names on the exclusive list.

Bones didn't even glance his way, thank god. He waved a dismissive hand in Jim's direction. "Oh yeah, Jimmy likes to be on display. Quite the little exhibitionist, aren't you, darlin'?"

The endearment, delivered in that delicious southern drawl, was just fucking unfair. Though he could pick up just a hint of disapproval in his tone, which was totally uncalled-for since he'd only had sex in their shared office once. Okay, okay, three -- four times, but Bones had only _caught_ him once.

There was an expectant silence and oh shit, Bones had asked him a question, hadn't he? "Yes, sir," he mumbled, and luckily that seemed to satisfy his listeners. They continued their conversation and Jim listened with half of his attention. Damn, his knees hurt. There was a trickle of sweat running down between his butt cheeks -- these leather pants didn't breathe at all. But he figured it would be a _faux pas_ to reach down and scratch his ass. He squirmed a little bit, though. It didn't help.

By this time, Marcus had settled on the sofa next to Bones. "He's a fidgety one, isn't he? What is he, bucking for punishment?"

"Nah, he's just not real well-trained, and he's more twitchy than a cat in a roomful of rocking chairs. We're working on it."

Jim flushed but held his tongue. Bones made him sound like some incompetent amateur. Which, granted, maybe he was, but it still stung.

Marcus chuckled. "Oh, he blushes very prettily. Don't suppose you'd mind if I borrowed him for a bit?"

Bones barely moved, but in his peripheral vision, Jim could see that suddenly his body language absolutely radiated menace. "Sorry, Marcus, I don't share."

"Hey, no problem, was just asking," Marcus said hastily.

Bones relaxed. "No harm in asking," he agreed.

Jim wasn't sure why he felt so... what was the word? Relieved wasn't quite it... safe, maybe. Protected. It was an odd feeling. After all, he could take care of himself, especially against one unarmed opponent who probably had no hand-to-hand training. But somehow it was nice to know that Bones had his back anyway. Before he got partnered up with Bones, he'd never in his life had someone that, without question, he knew he could count on.

Marcus introduced Bones to a few more people, and Jim surreptitiously peeked upward through his lashes so he could memorize faces to go with voices. Could prove useful later. He was getting increasingly uncomfortable, though -- his knees were killing him and he absolutely _had_ to scratch his ass. Just when he thought he was going to have to abandon his role and just go for it, Bones stretched and made their goodbyes. Thank _god_.

He made it until they got back into the car and then started squirming furiously against the seat, trying to assuage the itching. Bones looked over at him in amusement. "Ants in your pants?"

"Shit, man, I'm all sweaty. It's making me itchy as hell. How did you stay so still?"

"Baby powder, Jim. Baby powder." Bones grinned, and damn, that was hot. He'd hardly ever seen Bones so relaxed and loose. Given that they were on an undercover assignment that was unusual.

"You couldn't have told me this _before_ we left?"

"Where would be the fun in that?" Bones asked reasonably, and Jim had to grant him that. He'd have done the same in Bones' position.

He tacitly conceded the point by changing the subject. "So, any impressions? Anyone you think we ought to look into more closely?"

"Hard to say at this point. Probably to be on the safe side, I'll send the names of everyone I met back to Pike and he can have someone run them through the system, just to see if anything weird pops up."

"When do you think we ought to go back?" Jim resolutely ignored the flicker of excitement in his stomach that thought brought -- excitement that had nothing to do with the assignment.

"I think we should give it a few days at least. We don't want to seem too eager."

Jim nodded and the rest of the ride home was spent in silence.

When he woke up the next morning, Jim was oddly out-of-sorts. Normally he woke up full of energy, ready to tackle the day with an obnoxious grin on his face that was guaranteed to annoy Bones. Today, though, he didn't feel much like grinning. In fact, he kind of wanted to hide. In the bright light of day, the club, the experience of the evening before felt like a surreal dream -- a really embarrassing dream that he'd rather no one know about, only Bones had _been_ there. Bones was going to give him so much shit about this.

When he stomped into the kitchen, though, Bones didn't do anything more than raise an eyebrow before turning back to his coffee and newspaper. Really, who read newspapers anymore?

"Geez, man, you're showing your age. Why don't you join the 21st century, get your news on the internet like everyone else?"

This time the raised eyebrow lasted a little longer. "I like the feeling of paper in my hands, Jim. The smell of the ink. I prefer something physical to hold onto."

Even though the words were spoken without a trace of innuendo, Jim felt a flush creeping across his face. He turned away, busied himself making toast and pouring a cup of coffee. Fuck this. He was getting out of here.

"I'm going to the gym. Then to run some errands. I won't be back until later. Don't know when."

"Okay," Bones said agreeably. Jim stared at him in suspicion. _Bones_ and _agreeable_ didn't generally belong in the same sentence. Normally Bones would be grilling him about where he was going to go, what he was going to do, pressing him for a time he'd be back. Bones was already turning back to his paper, though, so Jim shrugged and took his coffee and toast back to his room to scarf down while he got dressed.

He still felt jangly and itchy when he got to the gym and changed into workout clothes. Pounding out a few miles on the treadmill helped, as did a strength circuit. Even better was the invitation from a taut gym bunny to follow her home for some "personal training." After fucking her vigorously, making her come three times, and then using her shower before bidding her a very satisfied farewell, he felt pretty much back to his usual self.

He figured he'd better do at least some work-related relaxing, so he went to the Castro and bummed around for a while, drinking coffee and chatting up the barista, browsing a bookstore, and just walking around, enjoying the looks of admiration and lust he was gathering. He mostly went for women -- in fact, he hadn't been with a man since college, and that had been mostly drunken fumbling. He hadn't really been attracted to another man since then, until he'd met Bones. But hey, an ego boost was an ego boost, and if guys wanted to ogle his hot bod, he had no problem with it. He didn't see anyone he'd met during their assignment, but becoming a familiar face here was important.

It was getting dark before he got back to the apartment. He figured Bones would be ranting and swearing, ready to give him the third degree about where he'd been and what had taken so goddamn long, but as it turned out Bones wasn't even there. There was a note on the kitchen table saying that he'd gone out to have drinks with Marcus and some of his friends.

Well, shit. That wasn't fair. Why'd Bones get to go out and have fun while he was left alone at the apartment? He went into the living room and flopped on the couch, turning on the TV and watching the news. He got himself an apple and a bowl of cereal for dinner. Then he watched some game shows and some stupid sitcoms. Then an equally stupid made-for-TV movie. Cheap-ass Bureau wouldn't shell out for cable. He was getting restless; just on the point of calling Bones' cell phone to find out what the hell was taking so long, when he heard the rattle of the key in the door.

He leaned back into the couch, playing it cool. When Bones wandered into the living room, Jim was pretending to be absorbed in the movie. He glanced up casually. "Have a good time?"

"I wasn't there to have fun, Jim," Bones said.

"Well, did you learn anything worthwhile?"

"Learned the names of some of the big players on the scene, met a couple of them. Listened to gossip about who's fucking who, fielded questions about my pretty boy-toy -- " Jim grinned, and Bones rolled his eyes, "crap like that. How about you?"

"Eh, worked out, and then mostly hung around the Castro. Just establishing myself as a hot young thing with no need to earn a living." He deliberately left out the part about screwing the woman from the gym. Bones gave him a knowing look that said he knew perfectly well about the omission, and Jim felt a tightening of anger in his gut. Why shouldn't he have a little fun? It wasn't like he was getting any anywhere else. He was ready to defend himself, but Bones didn't say another word about it. He just nodded.

"Oh, that looks like a good movie," Bones deadpanned. Jim looked toward the screen, where two adorable blond children were petting a pony that they'd apparently just rescued from a glue factory or some shit.

Jim waved this away dismissively. "Network TV, man. There's nothing on."

Bones smirked. "Uh-huh. Never knew you had a thing for ponies, Jim." Before Jim could retort, Bones was continuing. "I'm gonna turn in. See you in the morning."

Jim sulked for a few minutes in front of the TV, where the pony was now frolicking in a grassy field while the angelic children looked on joyfully. Then he snorted, turned off the TV, and went to bed.

***

They settled into a routine. They went to Narada a few times a week. They were getting to be known as regulars, starting to know the other regulars in turn. The staff brought Bones his scotch on the rocks without him having to order it. They even had a drink once in a while with Nero, when he was doing his circulating-and-schmoozing thing. Jim knew instantly that Nero was bad news. No -- more than bad news, he was downright evil. It set his teeth on edge to be anywhere near the man, but for the sake of the job he had to keep a poker face and not spit in his face. It must've been harder for Bones, though, since Bones had to actually make small talk with the guy, while he only had to kneel at Bones' feet and keep his eyes down. Still, it made him twitchy.

Then, of course, there was the fact that he was suddenly living with the man he'd been lusting after for months, which made him twitchy in a whole different way. And Bones was surprisingly pleasant to live with. He'd assumed that Bones would be a grumpy roommate, constantly complaining and nagging Jim about petty shit. And, okay, he was a little grumpy, but for the most part they got along really well. They took turns with dishes and cleaning and stuff, and if Jim was slacking off on his share, Bones would just slap him on the back of the head and say, "It's your turn to do the dishes, you lazy asshole," and Jim would do them. Jim would've liked a chance to return the favor, but sadly, Bones always kept up on his share of the chores.

Being around Bones all the time, going with him to a _sex club_ practically every other day and not being able to touch him was killing him. Plus they were trading off where they slept every night so they had to spend equal time on the uncomfortable couch. So every night when Jim wrapped himself up in the sheets, regardless of whether he was on the couch or in the bed, he could smell Bones -- smell the spicy, musky scent of him from when he'd slept there the night before. It was driving him crazy with lust. The man was so fucking sexy that it was completely unfair. And he had no idea that he was so attractive, which somehow made him even _more_ attractive. Jim didn't quite know how that worked, but it was true.

He was going to get blue balls or something because he hadn't had this little sex since that dry spell after Angela Parker dumped him when he was fifteen. He couldn't pick up a casual fuck because it could blow their cover. He shouldn't have gone home with that gym bunny, really. And plus -- well, he didn't want to pick up a random stranger. So his trusty right hand was getting a workout every morning in the shower and Jim was getting more and more frustrated as time passed.

He was getting frustrated in more ways than one.

"It's been a month, Bones. A whole fucking _month_. We've got to make our move," Jim said. It wasn't the first time they'd had this argument, or even the fifth.

As always at this point in the discussion, Bones sighed. "We're getting close, Jim, but not close enough. We have to let Nero come to us. We try to go to him, push the issue, he'll get spooked. Then the whole operation will fold up and reappear somewhere else we don't know about, and we'll have lost our chance."

"Bones, people are in sexual _slavery_ while we dick around. Don't you give a shit about them?" As soon as it was out of his mouth, he knew he'd gone too far. He knew Bones cared, way more than he should. The man couldn't keep professional distance to save his life.

He expected an explosion, but he didn't get it. Instead, Bones' mouth tightened, he turned abruptly on his heel and stalked out of the room.

The rest of the afternoon was uncomfortable, to say the least. The fight was still lingering in Jim's mind and even though he knew he'd been unfair to Bones, he still thought it was time to quit waiting around. He was beyond ready to make a move, to sneak into the back room of the club and plant surveillance -- a hidden camera or at least a bug -- and to question other people at the club about whether they'd heard rumors of the slave trading.

As they got ready to go out that evening, Bones still wasn't talking to him except in clipped sentences of as few words as possible. Jim decided that enough was enough. Fuck this cautious shit. He was going to do some looking around, and what Bones didn't know about -- well, until after it was done -- wouldn't hurt him.

Of course, it might well hurt _Jim_ , if he theoretically got caught trying to open a locked door in a back hallway where he had no business being. Theoretically.

Unfortunately, the two over muscled thugs who manhandled him into a chair in Nero's large, luxurious office weren't theoretical. They were also entirely unimpressed with Jim's explanations of having gotten lost looking for the men's room.

Within about two minutes, Nero himself was entering the room, the tattoos on his shaved head somehow looking extra ominous tonight. He sat down behind his large desk, in a plush leather armchair, and stared thoughtfully at Jim.

"Hey, look, I'm really sorry about this, but it's all just a misunder-”

"Shut your mouth."

Jim did. Wow, that was a really intimidating tone of voice. He didn't even shout, but somehow Nero's tone said "don't fuck with me" loud and clear all the same. They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds. Jim wasn't quite sure what Nero expected him to do. Then he heard an unmistakable voice in the hallway outside of the office.

"Get your goddamn hands off me. I'm comin'. What the hell is this about, anyway?"

A pair of bruisers who could have been the twins of the ones flanking Jim -- wait, would that make them quadruplets? -- escorted Bones into the office. Bones saw Jim and narrowed his eyes. Oh man, he was pissed. Jim wasn't sure whether to be more scared of him or Nero.

Nero spoke to Bones, ignoring Jim completely. "I found your boy trying to get into a locked back office."

Bones didn't hesitate for even a moment before heaving a long-suffering sigh that sounded surprisingly authentic. "Sorry about that, Mr. Nero. The boy's a sneak. Always poking around where he doesn't belong. He'll steal anything that's not nailed down too. It's how I met him, actually. He came in for a checkup and I left the exam room for a moment, and when I came back I caught him trying to steal my script pad. Probably wanted to get himself a rave's worth of uppers. I told him I could call the cops on him, or he could make it up to me. He chose the latter option."

Wow, Bones was good. Jim practically believed it himself. Nero didn't relax, exactly, but some of the threat in his posture eased.

"How... unfortunate," Nero said. "Of course, he'll have to be punished for this transgression."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he can't sit comfortably for a week," Bones said easily.

"Well, now, Dr. Dubois, since I was the target of this particular misbehavior, don't you think I should be the one to punish him?"

Jim tensed. Oh, shit, no. He really, really didn't want to be turned over to Nero for whatever his idea of punishment was.

Bones didn't react overtly, but as before, his voice was suddenly hard. "Well, now, that's an interesting idea, but I don't share. Trust me, though, I will make him sorrier than he's ever been in his life." Jim winced. He had no doubt it was true.

Nero wasn't willing to give so easily, though. "I can respect your unwillingness to share. He's certainly a pretty toy. I must insist, though, that I at least witness his punishment. You can do it right here, right now." Nero's tone brooked absolutely no disagreement, and somehow the air now seemed to be crackling with danger.

Jim's eyes widened, but he didn't dare look over at Bones. There was a moment of silence as Bones evidently tried to figure out a way to say no without making it look too suspicious. Apparently nothing occurred.

"Yeah, all right, that's fair."

Oh, holy shit, what was about to happen? He didn't have to wait long to find out. Bones walked over to him and glared at the thugs guarding him until they backed off. Then he touched Jim's shoulder, surprisingly gently. "Up you go," he said. Jim stood. "Now take down your pants and lean over the chair. Grab the arms of it."

Jim gaped. Bones didn't actually expect him to --

Apparently Bones did. "Get. Your. Pants. Down. Now." His eyes were flat, giving nothing away to the casual observer, but there was just a tiny flicker behind them that Jim could read, a warning that they had to play this out. Jim's hands went to the button of his leather pants, and then paused.

Abruptly Bones turned him around and pushed him down until he was grabbing the arms of the chair to prevent himself from face-planting into it. Then his pants were being opened and tugged down around his thighs. He could feel himself flushing all over, head to toe, and of course his bare ass had to have been bright pink as well. Oh fuck, this could not be happening.

"You just earned yourself an extra smack for dawdling," Bones said. Jim heard Nero chuckle in approval. "It was going to be ten swats but now it'll be eleven. I want you to count them. Do you understand me, Jimmy?"

"Yes, sir," Jim said. He felt almost lightheaded, like this was a dream, or like he was watching it happen to someone else.

The first impact of Bones' palm against his ass took him by surprise. It shouldn't have, but it did. He gasped into the sudden silence following the resounding smack that was still stinging his ass cheeks.

"Count, Jimmy." Bones' voice was as unyielding as Jim had ever heard it.

"One." He was surprised he could even say the word; he was so dumbfounded by the situation he found himself in.

He anticipated the second blow and tensed up just before it landed. Pain exploded across his backside. "Two," he gritted.

"Now, Jimmy, relax. You know it just hurts more if you tense up." Bones' large, warm hand was actually stroking his ass now, soothing the sting. Jim inhaled a shaky breath and relaxed his muscles with an effort.

"Good boy. Now here we go."

The third blow hurt, but not as badly now that he wasn't fighting it. "Three."

By the fourth blow, the tingling in his ass had reached a constant background hum of sensation that was almost... pleasurable. By the fifth, his cock had perked up and decided that yes, indeed, that was pleasure he was feeling. The sixth, seventh, and eighth blows had his arms trembling and his voice unsteady as he tried to cope with the contradictory signals his body was giving him. Nine had him crying out in a broken voice, and even he couldn't tell if it was a noise of protest or a plea for more. Ten had his cock pressed up against his belly, hard and leaking, and he was closer to exploding without a single touch than he'd ever been. Eleven... eleven had tears running down his cheeks, his voice no more than a whisper as Bones' hand impacted with the tender, abused skin of his ass one last time.

He almost didn't realize it was over until Bones' hands were at his sides, helping him to stand up straight. Bones turned him around, pulled him against a warm solid chest and tugged his pants back up, fastening them with slight difficulty over Jim's throbbing erection. Oh, fuck, he'd never been so humiliated in his entire life. Not only had Bones seen that, seen how hard he got from being spanked, and then actually felt it as he'd re-buttoned Jim's pants, but Nero and his asshole quadruplets had seen the whole thing too.

He didn't know why he'd gotten so hard. He certainly hadn't been expecting to react that way. He felt overwhelmed, and he didn't even know if it was in a good way or a bad way.

Bones seemed to get that he was pretty much undone, because he wrapped long, strong arms around Jim. With one hand, he rubbed circles into his back, and the other came up to cradle the back of his head, gently pressing it down so his face rested in the crook of Bones' neck.

"Shh. Shh, it's all right now, darlin'. You did good. I'm proud of you, Jimmy. Now tell Mr. Nero here that you're sorry you were pokin' around and we'll go home. All right?"

Jim desperately tried to pull himself together. He sniffled and nodded against Bones' neck. "Good boy," said Bones softly.

That was when Jim noticed something. He wasn't the only one hard enough to pound nails. For just a moment, he pressed forward, feeling the solid length of Bones' cock against his body, then he flushed in shame. Fuck, he was here to do a job, not rut against his partner. He hastily stepped back, wiped the back of his wrist across his eyes, and turned to face Nero, focusing on the man's shoes as he was expected to do.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Nero. It won't happen again," he said.

Nero's voice was indulgent now and just a bit rough with what must have been arousal. "I'm sure it won't, though your master is much more lenient than I would have been. You should consider yourself lucky."

Jim shivered, and Bones' arm came up to wrap around his shoulders. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. I do, sir." Shit, he was babbling now.

"I appreciate your understanding, Mr. Nero," Bones interjected smoothly. "He's a handful, this one."

"I can see that." Nero paused for a moment. "Dr. Dubois, I may have a business proposition for you. Why don't you come back tomorrow evening and we can meet to discuss it?"

Jim could practically hear the raised eyebrow in Bones' voice. "A business proposition, huh? All right, sure, we'll talk tomorrow. For tonight, though, I've got to take Jimmy home and finish up what we started here."

"Of course. I'll speak with you tomorrow." Nero's tone was knowing, and Jim's flesh crawled.

They didn't speak on the car ride home, but Bones' fingers were white-knuckled against the steering wheel and his eyes kept cutting over to Jim. Jim stared straight ahead.

When they got back to the apartment, Jim immediately headed for his bedroom. Bones caught his arm before he could take more than two steps. "Wait, Jim, we've got to talk about this."

Jim rounded on him, voice low and furious. "No, we don't. We don't _ever_ have to talk about this. As far as I'm concerned, it never happened. Do you understand?"

Bones shook his head, his eyes wide and concerned. "Jim, I'm _sorry_. I -”

"There's nothing to be sorry about, because nothing fucking _happened_ ," he snarled. He jerked his arm free, then turned away from Bones' guilty, stricken expression, stalked into the bedroom, and slammed the door. He leaned back against it and tried to get his breathing under control.

After a few moments, there was a murmur of "God damn it," and then he heard Bones walking into the other room, closing the door gently.

The next morning was the most strained morning-after of Jim's life, and he didn't even have an orgasm to show for it. Bones was staring into his newspaper like it was the most fascinating thing he'd ever read; only he didn't actually turn any pages. Jim got himself a bowl of cereal and then came back over to the kitchen table, plunking himself heavily into one of the chairs. He then promptly shouted in pain and stood back up, spilling cereal and milk all over himself. Fuck, his ass hurt.

Bones looked over at him, face red. "Can I -” he began.

"No," Jim said shortly, not wanting whatever assistance Bones was about to offer. He put the cereal bowl down on the table and stomped back into the bedroom to change his clothes. When he got back, the mess had been dealt with and Bones was now leaning up against the counter, his arms folded and a no-more-bullshit expression firmly fixed on his face.

"You don't want to talk about what happened last night, fine. But we need to talk about the case, figure out our next move."

Well, that was true. He got himself into his mental work-mode and that eased some of the tension churning in his gut. Then he nodded at Bones, gesturing for him to go on.

"That was a dumb-ass stunt you pulled last night, going off like that without telling me." Jim opened his mouth to protest, but Bones kept talking. "You're my partner. We can't do shit like that to each other. I've got to know I can rely on you. Got it?"

Jim dropped his head and scratched the back of his neck, now slightly abashed. "Yeah, okay."

"All right then. We got lucky, though, because that bit of foolishness seems to have given us the in we needed with Nero." Well, it was actually their performance _after_ his "bit of foolishness" that had broken the ice with Nero, but Jim certainly wasn't going to mention it if Bones didn't.

"So I'll need to go meet with Nero tonight, see what his proposal is. I think you should stay here."

"What? No way!"

"Jim, he asked to see me, not you. There's nothing to be gained by having you there. And if you are there, well..."

Jim was fuming. "Well, _what_? I might fuck up again?"

"Don't put words in my mouth, Jim. I didn't say that."

"Then tell me what you meant."

"If you're there, Jim, then Nero might insist on a repeat performance of last night, that thing you wanna pretend never happened!"

Oh. Shit. Good point. But still... "I'm going with you."

"Of all the dumb-ass, stubborn..."

"You're my partner, Bones, and I'm not letting you go into danger alone." He folded his arms across his chest and put on his most determined expression.

"You're being an idiot, Jim. You're really going to be okay with it if Nero insists that you get down on your knees and suck my dick? Or that I tie you up and flog you? Or maybe that you put on a show, grovel at my feet and touch yourself and beg me to let you come, while everyone watches? All of that would be just fine and dandy with you?"

Jim gulped. His face felt hot and his pants were far too tight all of a sudden. That all sounded... really, really hot, actually. Not that he would ever in a million years admit it. "If that's what it takes to get the job done," he said instead.

"You'd have kinky sex with me in public for the sake of the goddamn _job_." Bones' voice was flat but there was something behind it, some nuance that Jim couldn't quite read.

"Bones, people are being sold into sexual slavery. Yeah, I'll do whatever I need to do. Don't worry about it -- it's not like it'll mean anything. And it sure as shit won't make into my official reports."

Bones looked at him long and hard, and though the set of his mouth was stiff, there was just a flicker of hurt in his eyes, and Jim didn't understand why. He kept quiet, though, let Bones think. He'd learned the hard way that there came a point that if he pushed more, Bones would just dig in his heels and refuse out of sheer cussedness.

"Fine," Bones said eventually. "Do whatever you want. You always do anyway."

Jim grinned. "Yes! Don't worry, Bones, we're going to kick some slaver ass."

Bones rolled his eyes and sat back down with his newspaper. Jim got himself another bowl of cereal and ate it standing up this time.

***

He dressed that night with special care, his stomach fluttering with adrenaline. He tried not to think about what kinky sex acts might be required of him and Bones. Not that he succeeded, but he tried. Sort of.

As it turned out, though, it was all wasted mental energy. They showed up at the club and Bones had just been served his customary scotch on the rocks when two of the quadruplets showed up and asked Bones to come with them to see Nero. At least this time they were polite. Jim trailed along as an afterthought. It kind of sucked being an afterthought.

Nero greeted Bones expansively. "Hello, Doctor. Please, have a seat."

Bones sat in the chair across from the desk -- the chair that he'd bent Jim over last night. Jim's cock throbbed in reaction to the memory, and he ignored it the best he could as he sank to his knees at Bones' feet.

"Dr. Dubois. I'll come straight to the point. I'm sure that you can understand that in this line of work there are sometimes... injuries sustained. As a result of activities that are completely consensual, of course, but nevertheless embarrassing to seek treatment for. I'd like to propose that I keep you on retainer as the club's doctor, and you can treat those injuries without raising uncomfortable questions for the persons involved."

"Well, now, that's an interesting proposition," Bones drawled. "What's in it for me?"

"Club VIP status -- get in any time you want, all your drinks will be comped. Plus, of course, I would pay you for your time. What's the standard billing rate for general practitioners these days? $500 an hour?"

Everyone in the room -- well, except maybe the quadruplets -- knew that it was nowhere close to that. But Bones kept his cool, just said, "Something like that, yeah."

"Well, then, doctor, what do you think?"

It was too good an offer for a greedy, dubiously ethical doctor to have turned down, and Bones didn't even pretend to consider it before he said, "Sounds like you've got yourself a doctor, Mr. Nero."

"Please, my friends just call me Nero."

"Nero, then. And please, call me Leo."

"I would of course expect you to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In case of an... urgent medical situation."

"Of course. I'll give you my cell phone number."

"Well, then, Leo, I believe we have an agreement." He offered his hand, and Bones stood to shake it.

"Please, Leo, feel free to enjoy the amenities. I have other business to attend to now, but I'll make sure that the staff understands that you're to be given special attention. Enjoy your evening."

Jim followed Bones back out to the club, heart pounding in the aftermath of the adrenaline rush from what had just occurred. Finally, they were getting somewhere.

They stayed at the club for a couple hours for form's sake, Bones chatting with the other regulars while making a show of enjoying the staff members' sudden attentiveness, patting asses and dispensing obviously appreciative looks while they smiled and winked back invitingly. It was part of his role, Jim knew, but he couldn't help the jealousy that bubbled up anyway, and he found himself glaring at the floor. Suddenly a large, warm hand settled on his head, the fingers carding gently through his hair. He peeked up and saw that Bones was looking down at him.

"You doin' all right there, darlin'?" he asked, and Jim was warmed at the concern in his voice, not to mention a bit mesmerized by the steady hazel eyes looking into his own. He nodded.

"You ready to go home?" Bones asked. Jim nodded again.

"All right, then, up you go." They were the same words he'd used last night and Jim bit his lip as the memory washed over him. Bones' hand was on his elbow, helping him stand up, and then that hand was resting on the small of his back, warm and possessive, as they walked toward the door.

Bones leaned toward him and murmured into his ear, "Everyone in this room is eating their hearts out that I'm the one taking you home."

Jim kind of doubted that -- yeah, he was hot, but he'd bet a least half of them were jealous of _him_ for being the one with Bones. All the same, he grinned in pleasure at the compliment, and Bones' chuckle reverberated through his body.

They talked quietly about nothing in particular on the way home, and it felt familiar and comfortable. Bones was smiling one of his rare, gorgeous smiles as he unlocked the door and waved Jim inside.

As soon as Jim entered the apartment, his hackles rose. He made a sharp motion to Bones, who froze as they both looked around. Someone had been here. Oh, there was nothing obviously disturbed or out of place, but he'd been a cop for too long not to have razor-sharp instincts about that kind of thing. Bones was looking grim, and Jim knew that Bones felt it too, the unmistakable sense that someone had been and gone.

Just in case, they silently checked out all the rooms, not that they would've been able to do much against an armed intruder since neither of them was carrying. But there was no one. All the same, someone had been there, and who knew for what purpose.

"Darlin'," Bones drawled into the silence, and Jim jumped. "I feel like a long hot shower. Why don't you get it started and I'll be right in there with you." His voice was suggestive but his eyes were all business.

"All right, but don't take too long, okay?" he said in what he hoped was an appropriately petulant yet sexy tone.

"Don't worry; I won't keep either of us waiting."

Jim went into the bathroom and started up the shower. Only a few seconds later, Bones joined him, now holding a notepad and pen.

 _Bugs planted?_ he wrote in block letters far too clean and elegant to be a real doctor's chicken-scratch.

Jim grabbed the pen and scribbled back, _Probably. Cameras?_ His own handwriting was atrocious, but Bones had gotten pretty good at deciphering it during the time they'd been partners.

_I don't think so. I don't see anywhere that they could be hidden, or any holes in the walls or ceiling._

_The place has been searched, though,_ Jim wrote.

Bones nodded, then took the pen and wrote _You didn't have any real ID anywhere in the apartment, did you?_

Jim rolled his eyes and shook his head. _I'm not stupid, Bones._

Bones looked entirely unconvinced of that, but he wrote back, _Car's probably bugged too. Valet had the key all night._

Jim's mind raced, his steel-trap memory running through everything they'd said on their way home, whether they'd said anything that would give them away. They hadn't been acting as Dom and sub, but then they'd never claimed to be lifestylers. And most importantly, they hadn't said anything that would reveal their true identities.

 _We're okay on that,_ he wrote, and Bones relaxed. It made him kind of ridiculously proud, the way Bones trusted him so implicitly. That if he said they were okay, Bones believed him without hesitation. _Now what?_ he wrote.

Bones thought for a minute, then took the pen and started writing. It was longer than his other messages, and Jim couldn't read it with the way Bones was holding the pad. After he'd scratched for a while, Bones handed the pad back over.

_It might be that Nero's suspicious of us, or it might be that he does this to everyone he lets into his inner circle. Either way, I think we're going to have to stick to our roles even when we're in the apartment or car now. We can talk if we're outside or at a restaurant or whatever._

As Jim read the message, he couldn't help the thrill of anticipation that ran through him at the thought of maintaining their roles even when they were alone.

Bones grabbed the pad back, scrawled something else on it and held it up for Jim. _I wasn't kidding about a shower. You need one. You reek._

Jim stuck his tongue out at Bones, who was already writing again. _You can go first._

He nodded. This would be okay. They'd changed in front of each other before, even showered right next to each other in the locker rooms at the company gym after a workout. This would be just like that, right? He steeled himself and started stripping off. The confines in here were way tighter than in a locker room, and he had to be careful not to brush up against Bones. It was awkward, and he felt self-conscious, but finally he was naked and getting into the already-running shower. He soaped up and washed his hair as quickly as he could, then rinsed off and stepped out, remembering to leave the water running. Anyone listening would think that this was the longest shower in the history of mankind, but he supposed if they were having in sex in there that it _would_ take a while.

Oh shit, that was a very bad thought to have while naked in a bathroom with Bones. He could feel his cock starting to respond to that mental image and he quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist, not even bothering to dry himself off with it first. He motioned for Bones to take his turn.

It wasn't until Bones was in the shower that he realized that the frosted glass, which obscured pretty much everything when you were inside the shower, didn't do all that much to conceal the occupant when you were outside the shower. He found himself staring at the blurred outline of Bones' solid chest, lean waist and hips, and his strong legs. When Bones turned to grab the bottle of shampoo, Jim caught a glimpse of a long heavy cock swinging between Bones' legs. He bit his lip hard and tried not to whimper.

He shouldn't be ogling his partner. He wondered whether Bones had been ogling him. Probably not. Wouldn't fit with his sense of honor. So Jim really should look away. Any minute now. Then the water shut off abruptly and he snapped his eyes away. He was staring at a spot on the wall when Bones stepped out and wrapped himself in a towel.

"Mmmm, darlin', that was so good," Bones said in a husky drawl as he dried himself off. Jim's eyes widened and he stared at Bones.

Bones rolled his eyes impatiently and motioned for Jim to say something. Oh, right. They had to play it up for their audience.

"Hell, yeah, it was," he said, trying to sound as sated as he could.

"Let's go on to bed now, Jim," Bones said, leading the way out of the bathroom. The sound of that deep, suggestive voice saying his name -- his actual name, not the nickname he used for their forays to the Narada -- made him shiver.

Jim took a quick detour into the study to slip into the pajama pants that he'd stuffed under the couch cushion that morning, and then went into the bedroom, where he found Bones already in bed. They couldn't afford to stay in separate rooms any longer -- the rustling and breathing noises of sleep had to come from only one room, not two. Bones didn't react when Jim slipped into bed beside him, which meant that he'd come to the same conclusion.

"Good night, darlin', sleep well," Bones said, and then he followed it up with a soft, gentle, but lengthy kiss to the back of his own hand. Jim clapped his hand over his mouth and tried not to let his giggles escape. Bones glared at him, which didn't help at all. He had to admit, it was a good idea, and it had sounded remarkably like a lingering goodnight kiss.

Jim paused for a moment, making sure he wouldn't burst into laughter as soon as he opened his mouth, and then said, "Mmm, nice. G'night."

Bones gave him a last glare and then clicked the bedside lamp off, washing the room in darkness. He turned over and settled in for sleep. Jim was way too keyed up to sleep -- he was lying in bed next to Bones, for god's sake. He'd wanted to get Bones into bed for a while now, but this was certainly not how he'd pictured it happening. He didn't generally sleep with his bed partners -- fuck-and-run was more his style. Commitment and cuddling were definitely not. Still, he'd take what he could get, and he'd always been good at capitalizing on opportunities that others might let slip. He started thinking of ways that he could turn the current situation to his advantage vis-à-vis him and Bones, and soon he was drifting into sleep, lulled by the sound of Bones breathing next to him.

When he woke up, Bones was gone, and he quickly smothered the pang of disappointment. He didn't like waking up next to someone, he reminded himself. It made him feel suffocated. He ignored the fact that he felt more rested and relaxed than he had in years.

He wandered out into the kitchen, scratching his belly and yawning, and saw that Bones was already sitting at the table, with his customary coffee and newspaper.

"Mornin', sleepyhead," Bones said.

"Ngh, need coffee," Jim replied. He tried to suppress the warm flicker of contentment he felt at this disgustingly cozy domestic scene.

"Help yourself."

Jim poured himself a mug, doctored it with milk and sugar, and sat down across from Bones, who had already written a message on their notepad. He pulled it over and read it while he sipped. _I went out and called Pike this morning. He's sending over a team to sweep, to confirm whether we're under surveillance. But they can't remove the bugs if they find any or it would look too suspicious._

"Hey, isn't today the day the cleaning people come?" Jim asked. Bones gave him a look of approval.

"Yeah. We oughtta make ourselves scarce. Want to go out for breakfast, darlin'?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

***

Jim stared in horrified fascination as Bones smothered his sausages in maple syrup and his biscuits in greasy gravy. That was just not right. He shuddered and looked away, then squirted a large dollop of ketchup onto his eggs over easy and dug in enthusiastically.

"What's our next move?" he asked, chewing a mouthful of ketchupy egg and toast. Bones pointedly chewed his own mouthful and swallowed before answering.

"Now we wait for Nero to call on my professional services. No matter what he said, I'm sure that the real reason he wants a sleazy doctor on his payroll isn't because of people wanting to avoid embarrassment. He's going to have me treating people who aren't there of their own free will."

Jim nodded. "You need to document anything you see. I'm sure they won't let you bring a camera into an exam, but they'll probably let you bring your cell phone. You can use that to take pictures. Then if you can, get some of the patients to talk to you, admit that they're not there voluntarily."

"He may bring them to the club for short periods, but there's no way he's holding people there for any length of time," Bones said. "Too much opportunity for trouble. He's got to have them stashed somewhere else. We need to figure out where."

"Maybe you can get clues from some of the patients, see if they've seen the outside of where they're being held, or heard any distinctive noises, or even recognized the route they were taken to get to the club."

"All this is assuming Nero lets me be alone with the patients," Bones pointed out.

"You'll find a way to make it happen. Nero probably won't be there himself, at least not every time. Just his goons. Bluster about confidentiality and threaten everyone involved with painful injections if they don't get out of your way."

Bones shook his head, but he was smiling. "I think you overestimate my powers of bluster."

"Bones, I don't think it's possible to overestimate your powers of bluster."

Bones' cell phone rang and he answered it with a sharp "Yeah."

It seemed to be Pike on the other end, and they talked for a few minutes while Jim continued to scarf down his breakfast. Bones rolled his eyes as he hung up the phone. "Jim, the food's not going to run away. You don't have to bolt it like that."

"Wha-ever," said Jim through a large mouthful. "Wha'd he say?"

"No cameras, like we thought. There are bugs, though, in the kitchen, study, living room, and bedroom. None in the bathroom. Guess they didn't want to hear us using the crapper."

"All right, so we should be able to talk in there, if we do it quietly and have the shower running," Jim said. "They're going to think we're obsessed with hygiene, or have a shower fetish."

"They already think we're into BDSM. I hardly think a shower kink is going to shock them," Bones said dryly. Good point.

They dug in and finished the rest of their breakfast, Jim eyeing Bones' plate with suspicion and distaste. Seriously -- sausage and maple syrup?

***

As it turned out, they didn't have to wait long for the first call from Nero. They were lingering over coffee, by mutual unspoken accord avoiding going back to the bugged apartment, when Bones' cell phone rang.

"Yeah," he barked his customary greeting. Then he mouthed "Nero" to Jim and Jim came to alert.

"Back entrance of the club. Twenty minutes. Got it." He clicked the phone shut and raised an eyebrow at Jim. "Here we go."

"I'm going with you," Jim said, preparing for a fight.

"Yeah, all right," Bones said, taking Jim off guard, since he was already preparing his rebuttal.

"Wait, what?"

Bones snorted. "You can play the peeved, sulky boyfriend who's being dragged along on a boring errand. Who knows, you might get an opportunity to poke around a bit, but Jim, do _not_ take any unnecessary risks, all right?"

"No unnecessary risks, check."

Bones peered at him suspiciously, but eventually nodded. "Let's go."

The club looked different during the day, less glamorous and more tawdry. They drove around to the back and parked next to a stack of flattened cardboard boxes and wooden pallets. As Bones was grabbing his medical bag out of the car, Nero came out the back door and approached them. No -- wait, that wasn't Nero. It was another man with a shaved head and tattoos on his scalp. He and Nero could have been brothers, though.

"My name is Ayel," the man said. "Come with me."

So much for pleasantries. They followed Ayel into the back of the club, watched as he unlocked a heavy door that led to a corridor they'd never been in before. It was eerily silent, except that now he could make out distinct moans and whimpers. The kind most definitely indicating pain, not arousal. It made the hairs on the back of Jim's neck stand up.

As they approached the door the sounds were emanating from, Ayel turned to Jim. "You wait here." Then he pulled out his key ring and unlocked the door. As it swung open, Jim could hear the moans turning into cries of pain. Every instinct screamed at him to push Ayel aside and run into the room, but he forced himself into stillness. Bones disappeared into the room with Ayel and Jim was alone.

He peered around, looking for video cameras. He didn't see any, but that didn't mean there weren't any. Still, he could probably get away with a certain amount of wandering. He had a reputation as a sneak already. So he strolled the hallway, checking to see if any doors were unlocked. None were. Well, it was probably too much to hope for. He resumed his place by the door that Bones had gone into and waited. And waited. He was starting to get worried when the door finally opened.

Bones' lips were pressed together, nearly white. "I'm going to need to see her again tomorrow, to follow up and check those injuries."

"I'm sure that won't be necessary," Ayel said. "But we'll let you know if we require any further services. Thank you, doctor, and enjoy the rest of your day."

Bones looked like he was about to argue, then thought the better of it, so he just nodded tightly. Ayel escorted them out. Bones didn't say anything in the car. He drove them to a park, slammed the car door and walked down to the edge of a small pond. Jim caught up with him, and neither of them spoke for several minutes.

"How bad was it?" Jim finally asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

"Bad enough," was all Bones said. "You were right, Jim. We've been screwing around too much. We've got to bring these fuckers down _now_. No more delays."

"Whoa, Bones. Wait a minute."

"No, Jim, I won't wait a goddamned minute. We've got to call Pike. We've got to raid the place now. Today."

Jim was kind of freaking out. _He_ was supposed to be the one arguing for them to go off half-cocked, and Bones was supposed to be the voice of reason. This role-reversal thing was not cool.

"Bones, do you really think the woman you treated is still there?"

Bones set his jaw but didn't answer, so Jim continued. "And do you really think that if we raided right now, we'd find anyone else, or any evidence of Nero's crimes?"

Still no answer. One more question. "Did you get any clues from the woman as to where she was being held?"

That burst the damn. "Damn it, Jim, you know I didn't. Ayel was there the whole time. In fact, he insisted that she didn't know English and he had to act as interpreter. Bullshit. She understood every word we were saying."

"All right. So we made a start. We're one step closer to Nero trusting us. But Bones, you know we can't go busting in there yet. Yeah, it sucks that people are being hurt. But if we want to help them, we've got to do this right. We have to wait until we know where they're being held."

Bones picked up a pebble and hurled it violently into the pond, and they both watched the ripples expand and settle. Finally he exhaled. "Fine. You're right. But we're going to push harder, go more often, plant more surveillance. Actually, I planted a bug in the exam room when I was in there."

Jim was half-alarmed and half-impressed. "Right under Ayel's nose, huh?"

Bones snorted. "It wasn't hard. He was bored as hell, barely watching what I was doing. Mostly ogling my patient's breasts."

"What language were they speaking to each other?"

"Something Slavic. Not Russian. I couldn't place it, though."

"Hmm, all right, we'll have to get Uhura pulled from Spock's team so she can listen to whatever we get from the bugs. She'll recognize it, and probably speak it fluently along with a dozen of its variants too, knowing her. I'm going to call Pike, give him an update. Just chill for a few, okay?"

Bones nodded. He didn't look happy, but he didn't seem like he was ready to tear heads off either. Jim clapped him on the shoulder and stepped a few paces away to call Pike.

"All right, he's on it. He said to tell you that we're doing great and don't lose patience now, when we're so close."

Bones rolled his eyes, but he looked a little calmer. "Let's go home, Jim," he said.

Now Jim was concerned again. "Bones, you know we can't do that, not until the assignment is over."

Now Bones was -- was he actually _blushing_? "Yeah, sorry, forgot. Let's go back to the apartment."

And Jim got it. Bones _had_ been talking about the apartment when he'd said "home." He'd been talking about the place they were living together. Jim felt an incredibly sappy smile come over his face and some of the tension of the afternoon drained out of him. He put his hand on Bones' shoulder, let the touch linger. "Yeah. Let's go home."

When they got inside their apartment, Bones just stood there, looking lost and alone, like he had no idea what to do next. Jim couldn't stand it. He took Bones' hand and led him into the bedroom.

"Take off your shirt and lie down on your stomach. I'm going to give you one of my famous backrubs."

"Famous where?" Bones muttered, but the words lacked any bite and he did as he was told. Jim got the bottle of body oil that he used to grease up his torso when they were going out, and came back to stand by the side of the bed. He poured some of the oil into his hands, warming it before beginning to work it down Bones' back in long, firm strokes. Bones let out a deep, cathartic breath.

"Yeah, that's it. Just let it go, B-baby." Shit, he'd almost slipped and said "Bones." He'd better watch himself more carefully. He worked in silence for a few minutes, but the angle was awkward and uncomfortable, bending over Bones from the side of the bed. He didn't let himself think about it before he kicked off his shoes, pulled off his t-shirt, and then moved onto the bed, straddling Bones' thighs. Bones lifted his head and turned it immediately, shooting a questioning look at Jim.

"Relax. I've got you, Leo," Jim said. Bones looked dubious but he settled back down with a grumble.

Jim settled into a rhythm. He loved doing this. It was almost meditative, the way he could just let his mind go quiet while his hands and arms worked, stroking and kneading. And he'd always liked making other people feel good -- sex was a fun way to do that, but it wasn't the only way.

Damn, Bones was tense. He carried all of his stress in his shoulders, and Jim was willing to bet that he'd never had a professional massage in his entire life. He'd see it as an unnecessary indulgence, as if he wasn't worth this kind of care and attention. Well, that nonsense was stopping now. He let his hands drift to Bones' neck, gently working out the knots there, and then down his arms, working the tense muscles until they were as limp as overcooked spaghetti.

Bones was groaning softly now, as if he was enjoying this too much to keep quiet, but trying not to let anyone know. So typical. Jim smiled, and without thinking about it, he bent down and planted a kiss between Bones' shoulder blades.

Bones tensed up immediately. So much for all of Jim's hard work. He sighed and sat back up, putting his weight into his arms as he started the massage again, pressing harder this time, working deeper, trying to get all of the hidden tension out. The moans escaping from Bones' mouth were louder now, more ragged and guttural. It was going straight to Jim's cock, which was now painfully hard and trapped by the fabric of his jeans. He paused momentarily to adjust himself, then kept going, digging his fingers into Bones' warm, smooth flesh.

"Jim..." the word sounded like it had been dragged out of Bones involuntarily. And it was way too desperate and needy to ignore. He raised himself off of Bones just long enough to urge him to flip over and then settled back down, this time grinding their groins together as he straddled Bones. Fuck, Bones was as hard as he was, and his jeans looked painfully tight. He flipped open the button on Bones' fly, leaned down, and captured his mouth in a hard kiss.

For a moment, Bones responded, his head raising up to meet Jim's mouth, his hands coming up to clutch Jim's arms. Then abruptly he broke it off, pushing Jim away. "Jim, what -”

"Shhh," Jim said, pointing upward. Bones' eyes were wide, almost frightened. "Just let me do this. Let me take care of you," he continued, his voice as non-threatening as he could make it. Their eyes locked for an endless moment, and Jim didn't dare to blink. Finally Bones gave one, hesitant nod, and let his head fall back onto the pillow. Jim felt a surge of triumph and something warmer that he didn't want to analyze.

He tugged Bones' pants off impatiently, then his briefs, before ridding himself of his clothes as well. Fuck, Bones was absolutely gorgeous. Well, he'd known that already, but somehow seeing him all spread out, naked, on their bed -- their _shared_ bed -- well, it was different. He took a moment to look Bones over. Okay, he took a moment to check out Bones' cock. It was perfect. Just the right size, flushed and smooth and deep red, with a bulbous head that was already leaking. Jim's mouth watered and he climbed back on top of Bones, with one knee on each side of Bones' hips, so their cocks just barely brushed. They let out matching moans, and Bones raised his head to watch Jim.

There was a whole feast spread out before him, but he was too ravenous to explore it at a leisurely pace right now. He spent a little time on Bones' chest -- smoothly shaven, at Jim's request, and fuck, that was a heady thought. He kissed across it, swirled his tongue around Bones' nipples and then sucked and nibbled them when they tightened into hard little points. But he wasn't willing to wait much longer, and he was half-afraid that if he took too much time, Bones would put a stop to this. So he poured a little more oil into his hand, lined up his cock with Bones', and started stroking them both. Their cocks slid together, rubbing slickly against each other and against Jim's hand as he set up a rapid rhythm.

Bones' eyes were wide as he watched what Jim was doing, one arm now propped behind his head so he could see more easily. They were both staring at their cocks, Jim's slightly paler, slimmer cock a contrast to Bones' ruddy, thick cock. Jim added a second hand so he could encircled them both more easily, and he squeezed as he stroked, watching both cocks slide through the tight circle made by his hands. His own breath was coming fast now, in sharp little pants and gasps. He wasn't going to last much longer. He tightened his grip and redoubled his efforts, wanting Bones there with him, just as out of control as he was. He heard Bones make a muffled whine in the back of his throat, and it just spurred him on as his hands raced over their flesh, no finesse, just heat and tightness and motion.

Bones came just a fraction of a second before he did, the only warning a slight catch in Bones' breath and then he was spurting, thick and heavy, over Jim's hands. The sight catapulted Jim into his own orgasm and his head fell backward as he yelled out his pleasure. His hands kept up their motion, squeezing more gently now, wringing the last drops from both of them.

They shuddered together for a few moments, coming down from the high. When Jim looked back down at Bones, he had his arm thrown over his face, as if to shield himself from a bright light. Jim playfully tried to shove his arm away, but Bones just tightened his muscles and it was like trying to move steel rebar. Then Bones' other arm was pushing at Jim's hip, urging him off.

Bones was rolling out of bed now, not even looking in Jim's direction as he scooped his clothes off of the floor. "Got to go clean up," he said, and then he was gone.

Jim flopped onto his back in the bed. What was up with that? He heard the shower start, and then stop again a couple minutes later. He drifted in a lazy post-orgasmic haze, only slightly disturbed by Bones' quick exit. Maybe he really was obsessive about hygiene. It wasn't until he heard the apartment door closing that he realized that Bones had just pulled a runner.

There was a note on the table, saying that Bones had gone out to get some groceries. It was a weak excuse, but there wasn't much he could do about it. It was kind of strange, and kind of crappy, to be on the other end of the fuck-and-run equation. Although at least he had the common decency to say goodbye to his partners before he took off. Well, usually.

Still, it wasn't something he would have expected from Bones. Neither was being an awesomely kinky dominant, though, so obviously there was a lot about Bones he didn't know. The realization didn't sit very well with him. All right, he'd treat Bones like a case. Analyze and figure out what made him tick. So why'd he run out after seriously hot sex? Hmm. Well, the reason Jim always ran is that he didn't want the other person to go thinking that he was in it for some kind of _relationship_. Ugh. Not his style. So maybe that's why Bones got freaked and took off. He was thinking that Jim was going to get clingy or something. The thought stung, but he shook it off. He'd just have to show Bones that he didn't have to worry on that score. Easy enough.

He got up and showered, threw some clothes on and pondered his next move. He needed to back off and give Bones some space. Maybe also imply that their encounter didn't mean that Jim was already picking out matching rings or some shit. So he got dressed, scrawled a note of his own under the one that Bones had left on the table for him -- _Going out. Don't wait up. -J_ \-- and headed out to one of his favorite clubs for a little fun.

The problem was, it wasn't actually that much fun. The pulsing lights and pounding music quickly gave him a headache, and he kept glancing over his shoulder, expecting to see Bones there so they could commiserate, and then each time he'd feel a little pang when he realized he was alone. Not alone, actually -- he had plenty of company, and no shortage of free drinks and willing dance partners. Somehow, though, he didn't enjoy it the way he normally would, the press of strangers' bodies against his, the anonymous freedom in grinding against people on the dance floor, people he'd never see again and couldn't care less about.

And anyway, most of these strangers were no more than kids -- college students, maybe a few young professionals just out of college. He looked around and suddenly he realized he was one of the oldest people here. Holy shit, he'd gone and become an adult and he hadn't even realized it. The thought was vaguely horrifying and yet -- also not. He was dancing with a really hot guy, solidly built yet slender, with dark hair and intense bedroom eyes, and abruptly he realized that the reason he'd been attracted was that he bore a passing resemblance to Bones. Shit. He felt ill, pushed away from the guy, who gave an irritated "hey!" He elbowed his way toward the door, increasingly feeling like he couldn't breathe. It was too crowded, too noisy, too much.

He stumbled outside and sat on the curb, hanging his head between his knees and waiting for the dizziness to pass. He heard passing club goers laughing about the guy who'd had too much, but he ignored it. They didn't matter.

There was only one possible conclusion and he wondered why it had taken him so long to figure it out. He was in love with Bones. In _love_. Shit. He'd made it to 28 without letting anyone get close, and now, of all the bad luck, he had to go fall for his partner, the one guy he trusted, the one relationship he couldn't afford to fuck up.

He felt his panic rising, and forced it down.

He couldn't fuck this up -- so he wouldn't. He could do this. No-strings attached sex was his specialty. He just wouldn't let on that he felt anything more than friendship and partnerly affection. Maybe that would let Bones chill out and enjoy this.

He arrived back at the apartment with a grim kind of determination flooding through him. He took a deep breath and pasted on a smile before opening the door. Bones was there, sitting on the couch and staring into the semi-darkness of the dimly lit room.

"Have a good time, Jimmy?" Bones' voice was strangely free of inflection. It left Jim floundering, not quite sure how to respond.

"Yeah, sure, Leo, you know me, always up for a good time."

Bones gave a bitter chuckle. "Oh, trust me, I know." Abruptly he shifted gears. "I'm going to bed. You smell like cheap aftershave. Don't come to bed until you've washed that shit off."

Jim flushed, partly in anger and partly in embarrassment. The guy he'd been dancing with had been drenched in cologne, but he didn't realize that the scent had transferred onto him. But then, where did Bones get off, acting like he had any right to tell Jim what to do? After all, he was the one who'd run out on Jim, not the other way around.

He stomped after Bones, stripped down to his boxers, and defiantly climbed into bed next to him. The glare Bones gave him could have peeled paint. "Jim, I told you to shower first. You're not sleeping in our bed, stinking of some other man."

"What's it matter to you?" Jim flung back. "Anyway, what are you going to do about it? Going to drag me into the shower yourself? Scrub me up, dry me off, then throw me over your knee and spank me?" His heart beat faster, and he _really_ didn't want to think about the fact that that's exactly what he wanted Bones to do, but he had already faced the fact that he loved Bones so he might as well face the fact that he fucking _loved_ it when Bones dominated him too.

For a moment, it looked like he might've provoked Bones into doing just that. But then, like a switch had been flicked, he saw all the fight drain out of him. "No. I'm not. Night, Jim." He rolled over onto his side, facing away from Jim, and as far away as he could be given that they were sharing a bed.

Well, fuck. Jim felt a knot settle in his gut, and tried desperately to blame it on Bones, but he had a sneaking suspicion it was his own damn fault. And now that he was lying here, he realized that he _did_ reek of another man's scent, and he abruptly hated it. But he'd boxed himself into a corner, made such a point of defiance that he couldn't back down now, so he just stewed miserably in anger and resentment until he finally drifted off into a troubled sleep.

When he woke up, the bed was empty. Jim quietly went and showered, scrubbing his skin until it was pink and tingling. Then he went back into the bedroom, stripped the sheets off the bed and threw them into the dirty laundry pile, along with his clothes from the previous night. He got a spare set of sheets from the linen closet in the hallway and remade the bed before going into the kitchen to face Bones.

Bones was sipping his coffee and wouldn't meet Jim's eyes. Jim slipped into a chair opposite him and said, in a subdued voice, "I'm sorry for not showering last night."

Bones looked startled, and when his eyes met Jim's his eyebrows were lifted. "All right, Jim," he said, surprisingly softly. Then in his usual growl he added, "Don't do it again."

And just like that, all was right in Jim's world again. He grinned and nodded, then grabbed Bones' coffee and took a gulp. "Ew, gross, how can you drink it black like that?" he asked.

Bones rolled his eyes. "I _always_ drink it like that, and you damn well know it, so if you want it some other way, go get your own."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Jim said, but he took another sip of Bones' coffee, liking the idea that his lips were touching the rim of the mug where Bones' had just been. Jesus, he was getting sappy.

He noticed Bones' eyes focused on his mouth, and he deliberately swiped his tongue over his lower lip, looking up at Bones from under lowered eyelashes. Bones was staring at him now, seemingly transfixed.

"You wanna?" Jim asked, jerking his head toward the bedroom. Okay, not his smoothest line, but it would get the job done.

Bones gave a bark of laughter that somehow didn't sound amused at all. "What, twice last night wasn't enough for you?"

Wait, twice? Oh, shit, Bones thought he'd actually had sex with the guy at the club. And, well, that had kind of been his plan, to make Bones believe that, before it had backfired so spectacularly.

He suddenly realized that he'd read Bones totally wrong, and that his idea of reassuring Bones that this didn't mean anything serious to him was just about the worst idea he'd ever had. And he'd had some doozies.

If Bones hadn't freaked out last night because he was afraid of commitment -- and really, looking back at it, that had been a stupid misread, because Bones had never been afraid of commitment, whether to his previous marriage or his partnership with Jim -- then why had he freaked out? And thinking about it in the clear light of morning, the answer was obvious. Bones had freaked out because it meant too much to him. And because he thought it didn't mean anything to _Jim_. And he'd played right into that fear when he'd gone out. Christ, for a trained investigator he could be an idiot.

So where did that leave him? He'd never committed to anything before, never wanted to, but then he'd also never been in love before. He felt a bit like he was in freefall, but if he knew anything; it was that Bones would always be there to catch him. He screwed up his courage, and damn, this was way harder than putting himself in the way of some drug dealer's bullet. But he'd never been a coward, and he wasn't going to start now.

"I didn't do anything with that guy," he said. "I mean, we just danced. I know we haven't talked about this before, but as long as we're -- you and me, I mean -- well, I wouldn't, with anyone else, if you didn't want me to, and really, why would you, 'cause I know you're not the kind of guy who likes to share, and I'm okay with that, even though I - "

"Jim? Shut up," Bones interrupted him, but there was a slow smile spreading across his face and Jim thought he'd never seen anything so beautiful.

Jim promptly closed his mouth. Thank god the talking shit was over. "So, you wanna?" he asked again.

"Hell yeah," said Bones this time.

Bones took him to bed -- and there was no doubt about who was taking whom. He nodded approval at the clean sheets and then got down to the important business of getting them both naked. Then he pushed Jim down onto the mattress and proceeded to take him completely apart with his mouth and hands.

Before Jim could even really process what was happening, he was on the receiving end of the best blowjob he'd ever had in his life, with Bones' lush pink lips wrapped around his cock, that pretty mouth sucking for all it was worth. Jim threw his head back and screamed -- and he _never_ screamed, that shit was just embarrassing -- and came right down Bones' throat, feeling the rhythmic squeezing as Bones swallowed around him.

He lay on his back, panting, with little whimpering noises escaping from his lips every few seconds. Fuck, it had never been like that, that intense, not in his entire and very extensive sexual history.

Bones crawled up and loomed over him, and there was none of the hesitancy or uncertainty he'd showed the previous night. Bones looked downright evil, in the best possible way. He leaned down and gave Jim a slow, deep, lingering kiss, letting Jim taste himself in Bones' mouth. When he pulled away, Jim instinctively chased the kiss, and Bones chuckled softly.

"Your turn now, Jimmy. Put that mouth of yours to good use." Jim shivered at the dark, commanding tone of voice.

They switched places, and Bones stuck a pillow behind his back and leaned up against the headboard, reclining lazily, and Jim knew it was so he could get a good view of Jim sucking his dick. He shivered again in anticipation.

It had been a while since he'd done this, and actually, he hadn't done it more than once or twice, but somehow he knew Bones wouldn't be put off by his lack of expertise. In fact, he was pretty sure Bones would like the knowledge that Jim wasn't all that experienced in this particular arena.

Turned out that Bones really _really_ liked that knowledge, and as soon as he figured out that Jim didn't know what he was doing, he took control of the situation, guiding Jim's head into position, threading his fingers through Jim's hair and indicating with gentle pushes the depth and speed he preferred. Jim was pretty sure Bones was taking it easy on him, but he seemed to be enjoying himself anyway, judging by the burning intensity in his eyes, the way his mouth was slightly parted and the gasps of "Jim" and "yes" that fell from his lips.

Just as Jim's jaw was starting to ache, Bones' fingers tightened in his hair and then his cock was pulsing in Jim's mouth, spilling hot, thick come that Jim gulped down as fast as he could. A little bit escaped out of the corner of his mouth but he did his best and he could read the approval in Bones' eyes. It thrilled him, that approval, in a way he couldn't really explain, but couldn't deny.

They spent the rest of the day in bed, alternating periods of rest and soothing touch with periods of intense, mind-blowing sex. No penetration, but then Jim wasn't sure he was quite ready for that, and anyway they found plenty of other ways to enjoy themselves. They were both acutely aware of their audience, so they didn't talk much, but Jim found that they didn't need words -- now that he knew what he was looking for, he could read Bones easily, could see the depth of emotion there for him. He wondered how long it had been there -- how long he'd been too blind to see it.

Morning turned into afternoon turned into evening, and then it was time to get dressed and go to the club. Much as Jim wanted to stay in bed with Bones, he was also looking forward to going to Narada, having everyone see him with Bones. They wouldn't know it was any different now, but he would. And Bones would.

The club was packed tonight, and Jim felt slightly smug about the way they got to cut the line, receiving a deferential greeting from the staff at the front as they were waved in. When they got in, their usual spot on the sofa was already taken, but Marcus waved them over from a table in the corner and everyone moved over to make room for Bones' chair and for him, kneeling next to Bones' chair.

Bones ordered a round of drinks for everyone at the table, on his "tab," which of course meant on the house, and the server didn't even blink, just brought everyone their drinks. It made Bones pretty popular at the table, and he chatted easily, artfully quizzing the others and picking up gossip and background information that might be helpful for their case. It was kind of a revelation, watching Bones work. He'd always assumed that Bones was just more hesitant than he was, or less brave, or something. If he was completely honest with himself, he'd always thought he was a better undercover agent than Bones. It kind of shamed him now, that he'd thought that.

Bones was a master of subtlety. He was extracting information that people weren't even aware they were giving away. He learned several useful details about Ayel -- that he was Nero's cousin and right-hand man but that he barely ever showed up at the club, that he was usually traveling on business for the club (although why running a nightclub would require business travel no one seemed to know or care), and that most of his travel was to eastern Europe. He even got some information about Nero's schedule and his upcoming trip with Ayel to Croatia. Jim let himself drift into a light trance, memorizing everything that was being said without processing it. He'd be able to repeat it back later, verbatim. He leaned his head against Bones' thigh and closed his eyes, sighing softly when he felt Bones' warm hand stroking through his hair.

It was really kind of bizarre that he was enjoying this so much. He was usually the one who took the lead in his sexual encounters. He'd always liked it that way. This submission thing didn't fit with his self-image and it was kind of freaking him out. But then, this was different from anything he'd had before. This was love, and commitment, and all that kind of scary shit he'd always avoided before, but now it didn't seem so bad. And above all, this was _Bones_. And hey, he couldn't really deny that he was getting a massive charge out of this, and Bones seemed to like it too, so all in all, it was probably better just to quit over-analyzing and go with it.

When the conversation had moved away from anything useful to the investigation, Bones stood up and made his goodbyes. Jim fell into place behind him, expecting that they'd be heading home now. He didn't expect that Bones would head for the door that led to the rooms where, as he'd put it on their first night here, the "explicit shit" happened.

Bones opened a door leading to one of the hallways they'd never been down. There were rows of doors, mostly closed, although some were open. Peeking through the open doors as they passed, Jim could see that those rooms were empty -- well, empty of people. They appeared to be well-stocked with supplies and equipment that looked equal parts alarming and enticing. Muffled sounds of pleasure were coming from behind the closed doors, and Jim's cock started to perk up in response, but Bones led him past all of these rooms without slowing.

They turned a corner and entered a new hallway, and in this corridor, there were rooms on both sides, but there were windows, too, looking in on each of the rooms. Now Bones paused, leading him to the first window, standing behind him with his hands on Jim's hips as they looked in on the scene.

A woman with a soft, curvy figure was dressed in some kind of leather corset and thigh-high boots and holding a whip. There was a naked man kneeling at her feet, hands bound behind his back as he bent over to lick the shiny black leather of her boots. Jim's eyes widened.

He felt Bones' warm breath next to his ear, and heard Bones' husky whisper. "You've never done anything like this before, have you, Jim?" Jim shook his head, his cheeks heating a bit.

"Mmm, good. I like knowing I'm the first one to get your submission." Jim shuddered at Bones' softly growled confession, and all that it implied about what they'd be getting up to tonight. "But it means we're going to take this slow, while you figure out what you like, where your limits are. For now, we'll just look. You'll tell me if you see something you'd like to try or something that you know you don't want to try. Got it?"

Jim nodded, his heart beating ridiculously fast. He looked at the scene in front of him for a few more seconds, but the idea of licking Bones' boots didn't really do anything for him. Being bound on his knees, maybe, but not the whole shoe fetish thing. He gave a minute shake of his head, and Bones immediately led him over to the next window.

In this room, a man was bent almost double over some kind of bench while another man smacked his ass with a wooden paddle. Jim's breath caught, and his cock hardened painfully fast. Bones must've noticed the reaction, because he palmed Jim's cock and chuckled in his ear. "Yeah, thought you might like that. I'm definitely going to enjoy paddling your ass whenever you get on my nerves, Jim." Jim whimpered. Bones took his hand and led him over to the next window.

They spent at least half an hour going from window to window, sometimes moving on immediately, and sometimes staying for several minutes to watch what was going on. Jim had had no idea that there were so many _options_ for this kind of thing. It was kind of mind-blowing -- he'd always thought he was an expert on sex. Apparently he still had a lot to learn.

They stopped in front of another window, and in this room, like the others, there was a kinky scene being played out. A slender blond man -- barely more than a kid, really -- was strapped to a gigantic X-shaped frame. He looked out of it, practically unconscious, his head lolling limply from his shoulders. A balding man wearing a mask was lashing him with some kind of flogger. Jim immediately felt a chill. This was _wrong_. Bones' fingers dug hard into his hips and he knew Bones could feel it too.

Bones leaned in and whispered in his ear, just as he'd done in front of all the other windows, but this time his voice was deadly serious. "This isn't a consensual scene. This must be one of Nero's slaves."

Jim nodded. "What's our move?" he murmured under his breath.

"Time to test out whether my powers of bluster are as good as you think they are," he said. "I'm going to bully my way into checking out the kid, and while I'm doing that, you see if you can chat up the asshole with the flogger. The most important thing you can do is keep him distracted, but if he's talkative, find out anything you can that might help us."

Jim nodded. "Got it, Bones. All right, let's do this."

Bones turned the door handle and strode into the room, Jim only a pace behind. The balding man immediately spun, staring at them.

"What the fuck are you doing? This is a private scene."

Bones' voice was calm and authoritative. "I'm the staff physician for Narada. Mr. Nero entrusts me with the health of his... assets. A business can only run when all of its equipment is in prime working condition, after all."

"Hey, I paid for this time -” the guy protested.

"And you've taken it too far and now it's over. You want a refund, I suggest you take it up with Mr. Nero. Now I'm going to check on this young man to make sure that you haven't caused any permanent damage, and if you have, I can tell you that Mr. Nero will not be happy." He strode over to the X-frame and began unstrapping the leather restraints that were the only things preventing the blond kid from falling.

Baldy looked like he was warming up for another round of arguing, so Jim stepped up to him and put on his best fuck-me smile. This asshole obviously thought of himself as a Dom, so Jim could probably work that to his advantage, play up to this guy's ego.

"Hey there. My name's Jimmy. You look like you really know what you're doing," he said, nodding at the flogger. "Too bad your little playmate couldn't take what you were dishing out."

The guy ran speculative eyes over him. "You think you'd do better?"

Jim let his smile widen into a cocky grin. "Oh, I know I would. Question is, could you keep up with me? Think you could give me what I need?"

The guy chuckled in a way that he probably thought was sexy, but it just gave Jim the creeps. "Maybe we should find out."

"Not unless I see you first. I like to know what I'm getting into. Or, I should say, what's getting into me." Jim gave a suggestive leer.

It seemed to work because the guy took off his mask. "Like what you see?"

He was white, middle-aged, and completely ordinary looking. But Jim had a good memory for faces, so he pretended to look him over carefully, while memorizing his features. Then he licked his lips. "Yeah, I do," he said. "You got a name?"

"Master's the only thing you'll be calling me, so don't worry your pretty little head about it," the guy cooed at him. Ew, what a sleazeball.

Jim pouted. "But that's so generic. At least give me something -- Master what? I'd rather call you 'Master Jeff' or 'Master Smith' or whatever."

"You really are a sassy one, aren't you? I think you need taking down a peg or two." The guy was obviously interested, judging by the bulge in his pants.

"Oh, I dare you," said Jim. "But not here. Gimme your name and number and I'll call you, arrange something more... private. Gotta ditch the old man," he said in a confidential tone, jerking his head at Bones, deep in quiet conversation with the injured kid, who was now lying flat on his back on the floor. Jim put on his most flirtatious look, and then batted his eyelashes for good measure.

Baldy cleared his throat and looked a bit dazed. Oh yeah, hook, line, and sinker. "I don't have anything to write it down on," he said.

Jim tapped the side of his head. "I'll remember."

"You'd better," Baldy said, trying and failing to sound threatening. Bones could do better in his sleep. Jim rolled his eyes internally, as the guy continued. "It's 415-555-9097. And it's 'Master Gary.'"

"Got it," Jim said, repeating it back. Then he glanced meaningfully at Bones. "Uh-oh, Dr. Dubois looks pissed. I think maybe you seriously hurt that guy. Nero doesn't like that." Gary was looking a little panicked now.

"Tell you what, Master Gary," Jim said, trying to keep a straight face, "I can handle Dr. Dubois for you, take the heat, convince him that Nero doesn't need to be told, at least not right away. Then whoever gets that sub next, it can be their fault he was injured, not yours. I like you, Master Gary. I don't want you to get in trouble because some weakling of a sub couldn't take what you were giving him."

"You're a good boy, Jimmy," Gary said, looking immeasurably relieved. "I think I'll just call it a night then. I'll be waiting for your call. Don't let me down." He licked his lips lasciviously.

Jim felt a strong desire to shower, maybe with bleach, but he pasted on a smile. "Oh, don't worry, Master Gary, I won't. You'll be hearing from me real soon."

And with that, the guy fled. Jim immediately rushed over to Bones' side. "What can I do?" he asked quietly.

"We've got to get this boy to a doctor," said Bones. "This is more than I can handle by myself. Any ideas how we can get him out of here without drawing Nero's attention?"

Jim thought fast. "Master Gary" had left his leather mask, so he picked it up and slipped it over the kid's face as he spoke. "All right, I think we should take him out the side exit. The one that leads directly to the parking lot. There's no security there. We hold him up between us; make it look like we're taking him home for some fun. Then just hope that no one stops us. I'll keep him quiet in the car, and we'll drive him to the hospital. I'll call Pike and arrange for him to take over from there."

Bones looked grim, and Jim had to agree that it wasn't a great plan, but it was the best he could do on short notice.

They made it out of the club without being stopped. Jim wasn't sure if they'd been observed, but it was too late to worry about that right now. They kept silent in the car, the kid they'd rescued too out of it to protest or make any noise. Bones broke most of the traffic laws on the books getting them to the hospital, and then he and Jim between them hustled the kid into the emergency room, Bones yelling for help.

While Bones briefed the doctor on the kid's injuries, Jim stepped outside and called Pike, bringing him up to date.

"We've got to question him as soon as he's lucid, see if we can figure out where the rest of the victims are being held. Now that we've taken one of his vics, I'm sure Nero's going to move the rest of them," Jim said.

"Does he speak English or do I need to send an interpreter?" Pike asked.

"Not sure -- I'll have to check with Bones. They at least managed to communicate a little, I think."

"What about the guy who was beating the kid?"

"His name's Gary. His cell number's 415-555-9097. Pretty sure he wasn't smart enough to get an untraceable phone, so you should be able to get his address from that, pull him in for questioning. Guy's a sadistic bastard but he's not a hardened criminal. He'll be begging to cut a deal, tell you everything he knows. Hopefully between the two witnesses, we'll have enough to crack this thing open. But we've got to move fast."

"Understood. I'll put the wheels in motion. You find out what language the kid speaks and whether we need an interpreter."

"All right. Oh -- Nero and Ayel were planning a trip to Croatia tomorrow, so if they get spooked they might move up their plans. You might want to tag the airports, just in case."

"Got it," Pike said. "Jim -- you guys did good."

"Hold off on those congratulations until we've got Nero in custody, sir," Jim said. Then he snapped his phone shut and went to find Bones.

He found Bones in the waiting room, looking extremely pissed off.

"What's up?" Jim asked cautiously.

"They've got him stabilized but they won't let me see him yet. His name's Milorad Petrovic and he's 17 years old. Seventeen goddamn years old. They brought him in from Serbia about six weeks ago -- promised him a new life in America. Shit."

"So he speaks English then?"

"Yeah, some. But he'll probably be able to give us more detailed and accurate information if we have an interpreter. Serbian. Think we can get one of those at short notice?"

Jim grinned. "I'll have Pike send Uhura over. I'm sure she won't mind being woken up at" -- he checked his cell phone -- "1:30 a.m."

Twenty minutes later, Uhura walked through the E.R. doors, looking calm and unruffled. Trailing behind her was her team's leader, Spock. Now _that_ was interesting. Looked like he and Bones weren't the only co-workers breaking the fraternization rules.

"Late night at the office?" Jim asked innocently.

"Cute outfit, Kirk," she returned pleasantly. Jim flushed -- he'd forgotten he was still in his leather pants and collar. Uhura turned to Bones. "What's going on?"

"Serbian kid brought here and forced into prostitution. We're sure there are more, and we need to know where they're being held now, before they get moved."

"Got it," Uhura said. "Where is he now?"

"Hopefully moved to a private room. Let's go check with the nurse."

Bones and Uhura walked off together, leaving Jim standing with Spock. "So, you and Uhura, huh?" he said.

Spock stood stiffly and didn't meet his eyes. "I have no comment on the matter."

Jim smirked. That was as good as an admission. He baited Spock for a while more, but didn't get anything, not that he'd expected to. Guy had a hell of a poker face.

Bones came stomping up to them, looking grimly satisfied. "We've got that bastard. He's holding them all at an abandoned cannery. Kid saw a sign painted on the side of the building. I'm gonna call Pike with the info."

Jim nodded. "Tell him we want in on the bust."

Bones waved a hand in acknowledgement, already on his way out the door.

Uhura emerged a moment later, looking as furious as Jim had ever seen her, and at the same time nauseated by what she must have heard. She joined Jim and Spock, and Spock put a hand on her shoulder, an unobtrusive but unmistakable sign of emotional support. Jim wouldn't have thought the man had it in him. He wisely didn't comment on that or on Uhura's emotional state. He was brave, not suicidal. They spoke quietly, Jim bringing Spock and Uhura up to date on their undercover op and what they'd learned.

He was giving a detailed description of Nero's scalp tattoo to Uhura when suddenly he realized that something was wrong. Deeply, deeply wrong. Bones had been gone far too long and now his gut was screaming at him. He broke off mid-sentence, said "Shit!"

Spock and Uhura looked at him in surprise, but he was already dashing outside, knowing even as he did that he was too late.

There was no sign of Bones, no sign that he'd ever been there. Also no sign of a struggle, but Jim had no doubt that Nero's men had taken him. Probably followed them here from the club when they left with the kid. He cursed. It was stupid of him to have failed to take that possibility into account.

He turned around, intending to go get Spock and Uhura, but they were right behind him. The looks on their faces made it clear that they'd figured out what had Jim so panicked.

Before he could say a word, his cell began ringing. He glanced at the caller ID. It was Bones. Or, more likely, it was whoever had taken Bones.

"Yeah," he said, crossing his fingers even though he knew it was pointless.

"Well, hello, James." It was Nero, speaking in a casual tone that made Jim's skin crawl.

"You _fucker_ ," he hissed.

"Now, now, is that any way to speak to the man who's got your partner?" Jim said nothing, and Nero chuckled. "I didn't think so."

"What do you want?" Jim asked in a tightly controlled voice.

"Well, now, that's an interesting question, James. What I would like is for my business to have been undisturbed. What I would like even more than that is for my wife and our unborn child to still be alive, instead of murdered at the hands of Serbian imperialists, along with my entire village. But we don't often get what we want, do we, James?"

"I'm sorry about your wife and child," Jim said.

"No you're not!" Nero was practically screaming now. "The entire world stood by while it happened. 'Ethnic cleansing' they called it. And no one lifted a finger to stop it. You are just as guilty as those Serbian pigs for the murder of my family."

Jim stayed silent. There was nothing he could say that Nero wouldn't just twist and use as more ammunition for his insane rage.

"Killing your partner won't bring them back, but it'll be satisfying just the same. Even more satisfying will be making you watch."

"How do you plan to do that?" Jim gritted.

"Oh, you're going to come here to witness it."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you think you've got a chance of rescuing him, James. And because if you don't, I blow up those Serbian pieces of shit that I've got stashed at the warehouse. The entire place is wired and I've got a remote detonator."

Fuck. "Where and when?" Jim asked.

"Narada. Half an hour. And James, don't even try anything clever. No backup, no weapons." The line went dead.

"What is it, Kirk?" Uhura asked urgently.

He just shook his head, not even looking at her. No way he was going to risk disobeying Nero's instructions, not with so many lives on the line. Not with Bones' life on the line.

"Got to go," he said instead. He walked away rapidly, ignoring Spock and Uhura's confused exclamations.

He peeled out of the parking lot moments later, checking the rearview mirror to make sure that no one was following him. It felt strange to be driving this car -- Bones was always the one who drove it. It felt wrong.

He had no weapon, no plan. Hell, he had no shirt. All he had was a growing conviction that if he lost Bones, it would be the end of him too.

He parked in the back of the club, still having no idea what he was going to do when he got inside. Winging it was kind of his specialty, but this was taking it to extremes, even for him. He got out of the car slowly, sure he was being observed. He held up his hands to make it clear they were empty and slowly walked toward the back entrance. No one appeared, and when he tried the knob, the door swung open.

He stepped inside. No one was there, but he could hear noises. From the muffled thuds and meaty smacks, it sounded like someone was being beaten. Badly. Then he heard a scream that could only be Bones' and his stomach nearly turned itself inside out. He started moving through seemingly endless hallways, trying to find the source of the noise, and soon he was running flat out. He hit a dead end, had to backtrack. Fuck, it was like a maze in here. By design, no doubt.

The sounds of beating continued, but now he only heard a few whimpers from Bones. Shit. Bad sign. He wasn't getting any closer, and Bones was obviously getting weaker. He stopped, took a deep breath, ignoring the fact that when he let it out in a gust it sounded suspiciously like a sob. He _would_ do this. He would find Bones. He had to.

He forced himself to move more slowly now, deliberately, following the sounds he could hear. The hair on his arms was standing up now, and he could feel that he was getting closer.

Finally, finally, he found himself outside the door he was looking for. He took one deep breath, then opened the door and stepped inside.

Bones -- fuck, Bones looked like death. He was hanging from his bound wrists, dangling from chains attached to a hook set in the ceiling. His toes scraped against the floor, but he was hung just high enough that he couldn't take any weight off his wrists. His head was hanging down between his arms and his breath came in wheezing little pants. It was obvious that he'd been worked over hard. Jim was torn between paralyzing horror and rage the likes of which he'd never known.

Nero was standing next to Bones, taking in and obviously enjoying Jim's reaction, judging from the smug smirk he was wearing. Jim wanted nothing more than to rip it off of his face. He lunged towards Nero, barely bringing himself up short when a flash of metal told him that Nero was holding a knife against Bones' side.

Nero chuckled when Jim stumbled to a halt. "Good boy. I see that you're quick on your feet."

"Go to hell, you bastard," Jim spat.

"Oh, I have no doubt that I will, but that doesn't matter right now. My life isn't the one on the line right now. His is." With that, Nero pressed the point of the knife into Bones' side, just a shallow cut but blood welled up bright over the metal blade and Jim swallowed hard.

"Take me instead,” Jim blurted out.

Nero just laughed. "Why would I take you instead when I've got both of you? You're going to watch your partner die and then I'm going to kill you too."

Jim's mind raced, but in a moment of clarity, he thought he had it. Something that he could offer in exchange for Bones' life. He braced himself, and then spoke. "I'll let you do anything to me you want. I'll cooperate -- I'll beg if that's what you want. I won't fight you -- you can fuck my mouth or my ass or any other damn thing you want to do to me. Just let him go."

"Jim -- no. Don't do this. Just get out of here." Bones' voice was barely a whisper. Jim looked at him, bruised and bloodied and still trying to protect _Jim_ and thought his heart would shatter. He knew then that he'd do it, do whatever it took to save Bones. It didn't matter what happened to him. He tried to convey that to Bones with his eyes, and then turned back to Nero, forcing himself to turn away from the despair on Bones' face.

Nero's eyes flicked up and down over Jim and he fought the urge to shudder in revulsion. "What a touching gesture. Why would I want your willing cooperation, though, when I could just force you and take what I want anyway?"

Jim took a deep breath and gambled. "Because you don't want to have to force me. You want me to want it. If you force me, I'll find a way to make you pay. You get near my mouth with your dick, I'll bite it off. Won't matter what you do to me in return, because I'll know I'm already dead, and so is Bones. But if you let him go, I'll stay with you. I'll be yours. I'll submit -- willingly. That's what you want, isn't it?" He stood up straight, and then ran one hand down his own torso, deliberately flicking his nipple with a thumbnail, then trailing his fingers down over his abdomen, toying idly with the button on his leather pants.

Nero was riveted.

"Come on, I know you want me. It made you hot when I got my ass spanked. I could tell. Now's your chance. The only one you'll ever get with me. You've got something I want right now, and I'm willing to trade. But if you hurt him any more, you'll never know what it's like to have me willingly whimpering and panting underneath you. Did you know I've never let anyone fuck me before? You'd be the first. Do you want that?" He made sure to keep eye contact with Nero. To punctuate his sentence, he palmed himself through his pants and licked his lower lip deliberately.

"Jim, no..." Bones sounded like he was crying now. Jim had _never_ heard Bones cry. He didn't look at him. Couldn't. If he did, he might lose his nerve, and then Bones' death would be on him. He wouldn't let that happen.

Nero did look at Bones, though, and an ugly smile twisted his features. "I want to sample the goods. Get on your knees and suck me while your partner watches."

Jim clenched his fists but otherwise held himself still. He couldn't afford a mistake, and trying to attack Nero now, when he had a knife up against Bones' ribs, would be a mistake.

He made his voice firm. "No. You can have whatever you want from me, once he's safe. Not before. Try anything before that, and you'll have to kill me. I'll make sure of it. Then you'll never get what you want."

Nero's smile turned into a rictus of rage, but then he visibly forced himself to calm. "Fine. I'll have Ayel drop him somewhere safe. Somewhere public. He'll be free to go."

"Once he calls and confirms that he's safe, then I'll submit."

Nero laughed, and it sounded more than a little insane. "Give you two a chance to communicate, try to hatch some rescue plan? Not a chance. I give you my word that once he leaves this place, he'll be safe from me and mine. He'll stay safe, as long as you keep your end of the bargain. That's the only guarantee you'll get. Take it or leave it."

Jim looked at Nero but he could tell he wasn't going to get anything more than that. Frankly, he was surprised he'd gotten this much. And from the background work he'd done on Nero, he knew that he had a twisted sense of honor -- he may have been a murderer and worse, but he prided himself on keeping his word when he gave it. Besides, it wasn't like Jim had much of a choice. He nodded once.

As if he'd been outside listening, and hell, maybe he had, Ayel walked into the room and started to unbind Bones. Bones struggled weakly, saying, "Jim, no," over and over again. Jim swallowed hard and forced himself to stay where he was.

And then Bones was gone and he was alone with Nero. So this was his life now. He knew he couldn't try to get away. If he did, Nero would hunt down Bones and Jim didn't even want to think about what kind of torments he'd visit on Bones in retaliation for Jim's betrayal. As long as Bones was free, that was the important thing. What happened to him didn't matter. He squared his shoulders and looked Nero in the eye. "What do you want?"

The backhand across the face shouldn't have surprised him, but it did. Pain exploded across his cheekbone and he gasped as he fell hard to his knees.

He heard a chuckle from above him. "That's better. First of all, don't speak unless you're spoken to. Second, your eyes stay on the ground. Third, you stay on your knees unless I tell you otherwise. And finally, you address me as Master. That's enough for your limited intelligence to handle right now. We'll get into more detail later. Do you think you can remember all that, James?"

Jim's face was burning with rage and humiliation but he swallowed it down. For Bones. "Yes, master," he spat. This time the backhand across the face was completely unexpected and he cried out as he reeled from the blow.

"Lose the attitude, boy. You belong to me now. Better get used to it. Now try again, without the insolence."

Jim swallowed hard. His bravado was about the only thing keeping him from gibbering insanity right now, but if he had to let that defense go too, he would. Keeping his eyes downcast, he whispered, "Yes, master."

In his peripheral vision, he saw Nero walking closer. Saw him walk right up in front of him and stop. Then he started undoing his belt buckle. Jim felt nauseous, but he'd get through this. He had to.

"You want to suck my dick, don't you, James?" Nero asked conversationally.

Jim squeezed his eyes shut and nodded. Pain exploded across his cheekbone again and he gasped. "Answer me when I speak to you. Do you want to suck my dick?"

"Yes, master," he murmured, keeping his voice free of inflection.

"Better. Maybe you can be taught. But now you're going to have to work for it. I want you to beg me for it. Beg me to let you suck my dick, James."

Jim exhaled, his rational mind retreating somewhere to the back of his consciousness. It was the only way he'd get through this. He opened his mouth and took a deep breath, prepared to say whatever he needed to say. Except that he was overtaken by a sudden coughing fit. He gasped and choked, clutched his abdomen, but he couldn't stop the overwhelming, hacking coughs. And now he could hear that Nero was coughing too, and now he could hear shouting, and gunfire, and then everything started to go dark. He fell into the abyss with one last thought -- _at least Bones is safe_.

***

He woke up in a hospital room. Fuck. He hated hospitals. He seemed to be alone, which was no surprise. His memory was kind of fuzzy, but he remembered going to Narada, and seeing Bones... and offering Nero a deal... and then some kind of raid. Shit. Bones. Where was Bones? He had to see him.

He heard an insistent beeping and realized that it was his heart monitor, going off the charts now that he was thinking about Bones. A nurse bustled in and started checking his readings.

"Where's Bones?" He said. Or at least, he tried to say it, but his voice came out as a hoarse rasp that even he didn't understand.

"Don't try to talk," the nurse said. "Your throat is irritated from the gas you inhaled. It'll take a few days before it heals. The less you talk, the quicker it'll get better."

He pantomimed writing. "I can get you some paper and a pen, hang on," she said, leaving the room. He waited impatiently until she returned, then practically snatched the notepad and pen out of her hands. The nurse just smiled at his eagerness.

 _My partner - Leonard McCoy. How is he? Where is he?_ he wrote.

Her smile faded. "He's in intensive care. Aside from the surface bruising and bleeding, he had extensive internal injuries from the beating he took. We nearly lost him a couple of times. He made it through surgery, though, and that's a good sign."

Jim stopped breathing. He heard more beeping and alarms and through a haze he saw the worried face of the nurse trying to calm him down, but he couldn't make out her words. All he could think about was Bones. Bones, laughing at some stupid joke Jim had made. Bones' intensity when they were moving in on a suspect. The way he rubbed his eyes when they'd been working too long, fueled only by willpower and caffeine. His steely focus when he practiced at the shooting range. The way he rolled his eyes whenever someone said something he thought was stupid -- which was pretty much all the time. His gruff, sarcastic voice, and how that voice sounded so different in the throes of passion. The way he'd gently stroked Jim's head when Jim was kneeling at his feet at the Narada. And finally, how he'd looked hanging from the chains, bloody and broken.

Bones couldn't die. He couldn't. And if he did -- Jim knew with sudden clarity that he'd die too. Not that he'd take his own life, but without Bones' stabilizing influence, and without any reason to live, he'd give full rein to his recklessness, and it wouldn't be long until he caught a suspect's bullet or knife. He wouldn't care. He'd welcome it.

The worst part was, it was totally out of Jim's control now, whether Bones lived or died. It was up to the doctors, and to Bones himself. All he could do was wait. But at least -- at least he could be there, by Bones' side while he fought. He took a deep, shuddering breath and made himself focus. Freaking out and getting himself sedated into oblivion wasn't going to help Bones.

He focused on the nurse's face. She blew out a sigh of relief. "For a minute there, thought I was going to have to call a code on you. Don't do that to me again, all right?"

He nodded, but she wasn't done. "Are you _trying_ to get put into intensive care?"

Actually, that wasn't a half-bad idea. He nodded vigorously. Her brow creased in confusion and then cleared.

"Oh, I get it. That's where your partner is. You want to be with him, right?"

Jim nodded again, giving her his best pleading face. She rolled her eyes. "Are you always this much of a drama queen? You're due to be released in about an hour, provided you don't have another panic attack like you just did. You won't be able to talk much for a few days, and you've got a couple bad bruises on your face, but other than that, you're fine. So if you just behave yourself, I'll get you discharged and then you can go visit him."

Oh. Well that would be better than getting wheeled up in a bed and admitted to intensive care. He subsided. She gave a small snort of laughter. "By the way, your friends stopped by to check in on you. Director Pike, and Agents Spock and Uhura. They're up in intensive care now, taking turns sitting with Agent McCoy."

Huh. Friends. That was kind of weird. He'd never really had friends before. Drinking buddies, fuck buddies, gym buddies, sure, but not friends. But he supposed it was as good a description as any. He smiled and he was pretty sure it was kind of a goofy smile, but he didn't really care.

The nurse smiled back and actually patted his cheek like he was a kid. "I'll go get your discharge paperwork started. You just sit tight and I'll have you out of here as soon as I can."

He nodded, giving another dose of puppy eyes just in case it helped speed things along. The nurse rolled her eyes in return and left the room. She reminded him a little bit of Bones. That thought sobered him and he sat as quietly as he could manage so as not to give anyone any reason to delay his discharge.

Forty-five minutes later, he was pulling on some clean clothes -- Pike must have been the one to drop those by, he was the only one besides Bones who had the key to Jim's place, and Jim would have to remember to thank him later. An orderly came by with a wheelchair but Jim took a page from Bones' book and gave the man a glare that would have blistered paint, upon which he quickly retreated.

Pike entered the room, nearly getting run over by the fleeing orderly, and he raised an eyebrow at Jim, who shrugged innocently. Pike sighed. "I'm glad you're all right, son. I'm thinking you want to go see McCoy now, am I right?"

Jim once again nodded. "All right. I'm going to walk you over there. And you will allow me to do so because if you fall on your ass and break it, you're going to land right back in this room and you won't be able to see McCoy. Got it?"

Jim scowled, but let Pike put a hand under his elbow and guide him to the elevator. Five minutes later, he was gasping for breath and every muscle felt like he'd been running a marathon. Pike made him stop to catch his breath for a moment. God, this sucked. Eventually, they made it to Bones' room, and Jim forgot his own injuries. Spock and Uhura were in the room but he couldn't spare the focus to greet them, not with Bones lying in the hospital bed, pale and still.

He pulled himself impatiently from Pike's grip and, as carefully as he could, avoiding the tubes and wires coming out of Bones -- he didn't want to even think about those if he could help it -- climbed right into bed with him, wedging himself up against Bones' side, resting one hand gently on his chest. He heard a gasp of surprise from behind him -- probably Uhura -- but he didn't care. This was where he belonged, and anyone who had a problem with it could go fuck themselves.

He heard Pike clear his throat. "All right, everyone out. Let's give these two some privacy." Then he leaned in closer to Jim and said in a low voice, "We _will_ be talking about this later, Jim."

Jim just nodded wearily, tucking his head onto Bones' shoulder. Right now Bones was all that mattered. Everything else could wait. He was vaguely surprised to feel Pike's hand brush his shoulder in a gentle pat, and then Pike was gone.

Time passed in a blur. Pike must've twisted arms or pulled strings because none of the hospital personnel tried to make him leave. He clung tight to Bones' side, getting up only to use the bathroom or when the nurses and doctors needed to check Bones over more thoroughly than possible with Jim in the bed. Then he'd immediately return to his spot curled up with Bones. Maybe it was his imagination, but he thought Bones' color looked a little better, and his breathing seemed a little easier, when Jim was there pressed up against him.

He struggled to stay awake. He wanted to be there, be alert, when Bones finally woke up. He refused to consider the possibility that Bones might not wake up. Eventually, though, he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer, and sleep claimed him.

He woke to the feel of fingers running through his hair. He murmured contentedly and burrowed a little deeper into the warm body next to his. Then awareness slammed into him and he raised his head, eyes opening wide.

"Bones?" Then he winced. Shit, it really hurt to talk.

"Hey there," Bones said, in a barely-there croak that sounded even worse than Jim's voice. It was the best sound Jim had ever heard.

A huge grin split his face and then he was leaning forward to kiss Bones, remembering at the last minute to be gentle so he wouldn't hurt him any worse than he already was. Bones' lips were soft and full and they felt like heaven. Bones' fingers were still in his hair, and now they were gently digging into his scalp, holding him close as their kisses deepened, their mouths opening against each other's.

The clearing of a throat behind them brought Jim back to earth. He reluctantly pulled away from Bones and looked over his shoulder to see Pike sitting in the visitor's chair, looking amused.

Jim grinned at him unrepentantly. He was far too happy to worry about something like breaking departmental rules about fraternizing with co-workers, or about giving his boss a show. Bones was alive. He was going to be okay. Anything else paled in comparison with that.

Pike rolled his eyes at Jim, apparently reading his thoughts. "Good to have you back with us, McCoy," was all he said, though.

"Good to be back," Bones responded hoarsely. "What happened? What'd I miss?"

"Do you remember being taken by Nero?" Pike asked.

Bones' face darkened, and then he nodded. "And then this idiot showed up and traded himself for me," he said, glaring at Jim. Jim just stared back, refusing to be cowed. He'd do it again, in a heartbeat. "Fuck, Jim, what did he do to you?" Bones asked, suddenly panicking.

"Nothing," Jim rasped. "Cavalry came before he had a chance to do anything besides smack me around a little and lecture me about his rules or some shit." It hurt to talk, but it was worth it to see the way that Bones' eyes cleared.

Pike picked up the thread. "We'd already figured out that you were at Narada -- stupid move on Nero's part, it was a pretty obvious place to meet -- and we were ready to go in. Then McCoy came out with Ayel, we nabbed Ayel, McCoy gave us a quick read on the situation, and we went in. Had to gas the place. Sorry about that, Kirk."

Jim waved this off. Pike continued. "It went pretty smoothly. Nero's dead -- shot himself when it became clear that he was going to be captured. Some of his people are dead too, the ones who tried to fight back. The others have been taken into custody. No casualties of our own, well, except for you two. The prisoners have been freed and are receiving medical attention."

Bones relaxed back into the bed. "Good, that's good," he murmured, sounding exhausted.

"Get some rest, both of you," Pike ordered. It was a sign of how worn out he was that Bones didn't even try to argue. He just tugged on Jim a little, and Jim took the hint, cuddling back into his side. Jim was too tired to tease Bones about his desire to snuggle. Besides, Jim kind of really liked it too.

He drifted back into sleep, grateful now, knowing that Bones was going to be all right.

***

Two weeks later, Jim and Bones stood in the doorway of the apartment they'd shared. Bones looked like shit, bruised all to hell and gone, but at least he was up and moving around, even if he hobbled like an old man. Of course, Jim was getting all the mileage out of it he could, teasing Bones and then dodging out of the way when Bones tried to punch his shoulder in retaliation.

Now, though, he was quiet. He felt strangely morose. He was glad that they'd gotten the bad guys and rescued the victims, but... he was going to miss this. Living with Bones, the intimacy of it, and yeah, even the domesticity of it. Hell, he didn't even know if they were going to continue doing this... whatever it was, now that the assignment was over. The cuddling at the hospital didn't necessarily mean anything -- they'd been hurt, and they needed to reassure themselves and each other that they were both okay. It didn't mean that Bones wanted a _relationship_ with him.

He looked over at Bones, but Bones' face was closed off and unreadable.

Jim bit his lip. "Well, I guess we'd better get our stuff packed up."

Bones nodded shortly and moved towards the bedroom. Jim followed behind, stopping and staring when he entered the room and saw the bed that they'd shared. Bones wasn't looking at it, or at him, but was instead throwing his clothes into a duffel bag as fast as he could, without bothering to fold them. Well, looked like he had his answer. Bones couldn't wait to get out of here and forget what had happened.

"So, you gonna look up that nurse? The hot one with green eyes who was totally into you?" Jim asked, trying not to sound as depressed about the prospect as he felt.

Bones stopped packing, turned, and shot a look at him. Jim wasn't sure what the look meant. He hated it when he couldn't decipher Bones' looks. "What?" he asked defensively.

"That what you want me to do, Jim?" Bones asked.

Jim was confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Bones rolled his eyes. "Just answer the question, dumbass."

"Hey, that was uncalled for!" Jim protested. Bones just kept looking at him. "Fine, fine. NoIdon'twantyouto," he said in a rush.

Now Bones was raising an eyebrow, and it was pure evil. Oh shit, it was the nail-in-the-coffin look.

"Take off your clothes and get into bed, Jim," Bones said, leaving absolutely no room for argument.

Jim squeaked -- he actually _squeaked_ \-- and his cock got hard so fast it was painful. He stared at Bones open-mouthed.

"You've got until the count of three to get naked, Jim, or I'll turn you over my knee and spank your ass 'til it’s bright red."

If possible, Jim got even harder. He was tempted, but... another time. Instead, he stood up and started flinging his clothes off as fast as he could. He jumped into bed and lay on his back, spread-eagled. Bones stared at him appreciatively, and stalked over to the bed. "Good boy," he said, and Jim shivered.

"Wait -- what about the surveillance?" Jim asked weakly. Not that he was going to put a stop to this even if the bugs were still operational.

"Cleaned out last week," Bones said, now stripping off his own clothes deliberately. Then he was naked and looming over Jim, his knees on either side of Jim's hips. He leaned down and brushed his lips softly across Jim's forehead, his cheeks, and then nuzzled into his neck. He pulled back to look straight into Jim's eyes. "You're mine, Jim," he said. "That's what you want, isn't it?"

Jim couldn't speak. He could only nod, wide-eyed. "Good," Bones said. "That's what I want too. I want you close. I want us to move in together." Now Bones sounded a bit tentative. Jim nodded again, a smile spreading over his face, and Bones relaxed a little.

"I'll dominate you when we both need it or want it," he continued. "I enjoy it, and I know you do too. But I don't want a 24/7 deal, Jim. I want a partner, not a slave, however willing. That okay with you?"

It sounded beyond perfect, and for a moment Jim just grinned delightedly up at Bones. Bones kept looking at him expectantly, though, and so Jim found his voice. "Just try and tell me what to do when I'm not in the mood for it and see how far it gets you."

Bones chuckled. "Yeah, that's what I figured. All right. We'll work out details later, but right now I want to blow you. You up for that?"

Jim just groaned, and Bones must've understood it for the enthusiastic assent that it was, because he worked his way down Jim's body, kissing and licking as he went. There was no dominance in it and no submission either. Just Bones, giving Jim unbelievable pleasure with his mouth and hands.

He floated in bliss, and didn't even notice Bones' fingers working their way south until suddenly one of those fingers was massaging his hole, not pushing inside, just rubbing gently. It felt fucking _incredible_. Jim moaned his approval and Bones moaned in answer, the vibrations buzzing softly through Jim's cock. Then Bones sucked, hard, and that was it. He bucked involuntarily, shouted, and came so hard he saw white flashes.

Bones rode it out with him, sucking and swallowing while Jim shuddered through the aftershocks.

"Holy shit, Bones," Jim said after a moment, his voice coming out shaky. Bones looked up at him, a smirk on his face. Jim didn't even care. The smugness was fully deserved. "You've got to teach me how to do that," he said.

At that, Bones laughed outright. "You bet your sweet ass," he said.

"Speaking of my sweet ass..." Jim said, fluttering his eyelashes. "You gonna fuck it or what?"

Bones groaned. "Hell yes," he said. "When I don't feel quite so much like I've been hit by a train."

Jim pouted in disappointment. Bones just grinned and ruffled his hair. "Come on, you brat. Let's finish up here so we can go home."

Jim grinned brightly. Home. He liked the sound of that.


End file.
